On Saturday, Pope Francis honored Józef and Wiktoria Ulma, a Polish couple who were tragically killed by German police during World War II for hiding Jews in their farmhouse.
Józef and Wiktoria Ulma were a Polish Catholic couple living in the town of Markowa during the Nazi German occupation of Poland during World War II. Józef was a farmer and beekeeper, and Wiktoria was a devoted wife and mother. In March 1944, the Ulmas made the courageous decision to hide several members of the Jewish community in their farmhouse, at great risk to their own lives.
An informant apparently betrayed them, and a group of German police officers arrived at the Ulma’s farmhouse searching for Jews. The Ulmas had taken in a Jewish family of six, as well as two sisters from another Jewish family, and had been hiding them in the garret of their farmhouse. Tragically, the police discovered the Jews and shot them to death. The Ulmas and their six young children, ranging in age from newborn to 8 years old, were also brutally killed by the police.
The Ulma family’s selfless act of compassion and bravery in the face of unimaginable danger is a testament to the enduring power of love and the human spirit. They paid the ultimate price for their bravery, but their legacy lives on as an example of courage and heroism in the face of evil.
The Pope declared the Ulmas as martyrs, recognizing their selfless acts of compassion and their willingness to sacrifice their own lives to protect others.
Pope Francis’ recognition of the Ulmas as martyrs allows for their beatification, a crucial step towards sainthood. For the Ulmas to be declared saints, a miracle attributed to their intercession must be recognized after beatification.
During a 2016 pilgrimage to Poland, Pope Francis learned about the Ulma family from the Vatican. In 2018, he publicly praised the family as a model of devotion to God and His teachings, love for others, and respect for human dignity during a public audience.
