Fr. Emil Kapaun's life has inspired many through his heroic acts of selfless courage on the battlefield. Kapaun gave his life for others, caring for soldiers during the Korean War in an extraordinary way.
Up until now he was only recognized as "Servant of God," but on February 25, Pope Francis has approved his cause to continue to the next step of, "venerable."
Offering of Life
While not technically a martyr, Fr. Emil Kapaun's cause has been classified under the category of "offering of life."
Vatican News explains what this means:
The category of “offering of life” is “a new cause for the beatification and canonization procedure, distinct from the causes based on martyrdom and on the heroism of virtues.” This cause was introduced by Pope Francis in 2017 to recognize as saints “those Christians who, following more than closely the footsteps and teachings of the Lord Jesus, have voluntarily and freely offered their life for others and persevered with this determination unto death.”
Fr. Kapaun's cause for canonization still requires a total of two miracles attributed to his intercession before he can be declared a "saint."
Who was Fr. Emil Kapaun?
Larry Peterson wrote an article for Aleteia about Fr. Kapaun, where he gives a summary of his life:
During the Korean War, Captain Emil Kapaun was the Catholic chaplain assigned to the 3rd Battalion of the 8th Cavalry...Father Kapaun ran from foxhole to foxhole, dragging out the wounded and giving Last Rites to the dying. Over the sound of gunfire and explosions he heard confessions. Feverishly working beyond the American lines in “no-man’s land,” he actually stopped an execution and negotiated with the enemy for the safety of wounded Americans.
Fr. Kapaun was eventually captured by the Korean army, and while a POW, he "he cared for the sick and wounded, built fires for warmth and cooking, searched for scraps of food, and even set up a makeshift system to purify drinking water."
The poor living conditions led to Fr. Kapaun's death on May 23, 1951.
His actions went beyond the call of duty and he received the Medal of Honor after his death.
