Imagine a bishop standing tall against the tide. That’s the story etched into this Graf von Galen Plaque.
The Graf von Galen Plaque commemorates Clemens August Graf von Galen. He was a German count and Bishop of Münster. More than that, he was a cardinal of the Catholic Church.
During World War II, Galen became a beacon of defiance. He led Catholic protests against the Nazis. His courage shone brightest against Nazi euthanasia. He also denounced Gestapo lawlessness. He spoke against the persecution of the Church in Nazi Germany.
Born into German aristocracy in 1878, Galen received his education in Austria-Hungary. After ordination, he served in Berlin. He disliked the secular values of the Weimar Republic. He opposed individualism, socialism, and democracy. Galen was a staunch German nationalist. He considered the Treaty of Versailles unjust. He viewed Bolshevism as a threat.
Galen began criticizing Hitler’s movement in 1934. He condemned the Nazi worship of race. He helped draft Pope Pius XI’s anti-Nazi encyclical. In 1941, Galen delivered sermons that shook the nation. He denounced the arrest of Jesuits. He spoke against the confiscation of church property. He condemned the state-approved mass killing of people with mental or physical defects. These sermons were illegally circulated inspiring German Resistance groups.
In September 1943, a further condemnation was read from Catholic pulpits. It denounced the killing of the innocent. It included the mentally handicapped and prisoners of war.
Galen wasn’t an easy student. His Jesuit superior noted his infallibility. He wouldn’t admit he was wrong.
During World War I, Galen volunteered for military service. He encouraged parishioners to serve willingly. After Germany’s surrender, he created soup kitchens. He feared the lower classes would embrace radicalism.
In Münster, Galen initially upset some parishioners with his political conservatism. He was elected bishop of Münster in 1933. His motto was “Nec laudibus nec timore.” It means “neither by flattery nor by fear.” As bishop, Galen campaigned against Nazi influence in education. He forced the Nazis to permit continued Catholic instruction.
In 1934, Galen attacked the racial ideology of the Nazi regime. He criticized the idea that Jewish authorship diminished the Old Testament’s authority. He equated loyalty to the Reich with slavery.
Two SS officers once visited Galen to pressure him. They wanted him to endorse Nazi doctrines. Galen refused. He denounced the Nazis for trying to introduce Germanic neo-paganism.
In 1941, Galen denounced the Gestapo’s lawlessness and the euthanasia program. He attacked the Gestapo for converting church properties into cinemas and brothels. He said it was the duty of Christians to resist the taking of human life.
His sermons earned him the nickname “the Lion of Münster.” Thousands of copies circulated throughout Germany. The local Nazi Gauleiter demanded Galen’s arrest. Joseph Goebbels preferred to wait until the end of the war.
Galen suffered virtual house arrest from 1941 until the war’s end. Documents suggest the Nazis intended to hang him.
After the war, Galen protested against the mistreatment of the German population. He fought against injustice no matter where it came from.
In 1946, Pope Pius XII appointed Galen a cardinal. He died shortly after returning to Münster. His last words included “May God protect the dear fatherland.” He was buried in Münster Cathedral.
Clemens August Graf von Galen was beatified in 2005. He stands as a symbol of courage. He is a testament to standing up for what is right. The Graf von Galen Plaque serves as a potent reminder. One person can make a difference against overwhelming evil.