Blessed Bishop Vilmos Apor | |
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Bishop of Győr | |
Church | Roman Catholic Church |
Diocese | Győr |
See | Győr |
Appointed | 21 January 1941 |
Installed | 2 March 1941 |
Term ended | 2 April 1945 |
Predecessor | István Breyer |
Successor | Károly Kálmán Papp |
Orders | |
Ordination | 24 August 1915 by Sigismund Waitz |
Consecration | 24 February 1941 by Jusztinián György Serédi |
Rank | Bishop |
Personal details | |
Born | Baron Vilmos Apor 29 February 1892 |
Died | 2 April 1945 Győr, Kingdom of Hungary | (aged 53)
Motto | Crux firmat mitem mitigate fortem ("The Cross strengthens the meek; tames the strong") |
Coat of arms | |
Sainthood | |
Feast day | 2 April |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
Beatified | 9 November 1997 Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
Attributes |
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Patronage |
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Baron Vilmos Apor de Altorja (29 February 1892 – 2 April 1945) was a Hungarian Roman Catholic prelate, born as a baron in the noble Apor family, and served as a bishop during World War II. He became famous for protesting against the persecution of the Hungarian Jewish population and for his steadfast commitment to the poor.[1][2][3] His outreach also extended to abuse victims with a particular emphasis on the protection of women - it would be this latter commitment that saw him sustain fatal injuries leading to his death.[3] Apor dedicated himself to being an opponent of both communism and Nazism and used his sermons as a platform to condemn them though coming at a great personal risk to himself. Apor was a beloved figure in his diocese, where people hailed him as a great saint upon learning of his death.[4][5]
The beatification process opened on 5 March 1991 and culminated after Pope John Paul II presided over the beatification in Saint Peter's Square on 9 November 1997.
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