Several months ago I read an article about Blessed Charles. This prompted me to purchase the book entitled, A Heart for Europe by James and Joanna Bogle. The story moved me so much that I have become an advocate for this man of peace! I recently mailed a copy of the book to my bishop and several priests that I know.
Willow Street, Pennsylvania
27/07/2009
Blessed Karl is such a source of peace and comfort in my own daily prayers.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
20/07/2009
Venho por este meio, informar que gostaria de pertencer à Liga de Oração do imperador Carlos para a Paz dos Povos, pois muito admiro o Imperador Carlos de Áustria pelo que fez e continua a fazer.
Sou jovem Monarquica de 24 anos, que muito admiro a Monarquia, sobretudo a verdadeira Monarquia, precisamente pela sua história e por tudo o que fez ao povo e à sua Nação.
Portugal
17/07/2009
I’ve developed a deep admiration for Bl. Charles as I firmly believe he is an excellent spiritual role model for the modern layman.
Kailua, Hawaii
17/07/2009
I was able to read the life and works [of] Blessed Karl of Austria. I was deeply moved by his spirituality and fidelity to the teachings of the Church. As I continue my discernment for the priesthood, his example serve[s] as guide and inspiration.
Makati City, Philippines
07/07/2009
We [me and my wife] have a great devotion of Blessed Karl and pray daily for his intercession and his elevation to the honor of the altar. . . I wanted to make you aware of a little Catholic organization . . . the Michigan Subpriory of the Militia of the Holy Ghost, which is a Byzantine Catholic fraternal order of knighthood. . . Besides St. Nicholas, who is our patron, we have Blessed Karl as a patron of our Order. We are primarily concerned with the personal sanctification of our members and the support of the local Church through our charitable activities.
Milford, Michigan
01/06/2009
As a historian I have always admired the peace efforts made by the Blessed Emperor Charles during that calamity, the First World War, and would like to participate in your apostolate for peace and justice; while of course seeking the much-hoped for canonisation of this tragically short-lived monarch.
Edinburgh, Scotland
30/04/2009
. . . I have just read the life of Emperor Charles. He was indeed a great man. He was a loving husband to his wife and a good father to his eight children. During his reign, he showed his concern and dedication to the people entrusted to him. But what amazed me most was, during World War I, he was the only political leader to support the pope’s peace efforts. Later on, he and his family were exiled from their country. There, he offered his sufferings for the unity of his people. I have also read that his cause for sainthood is on going. I hope that someday the Church will proclaim him St. Charles of Austria.
Quezon City, Philippines
24/04/2009
I have just read about the biography of Blessed Emperor Karl and I was touched by his generosity to the poor, his empathy to the sufferings of others, etc. While Europe was driven to the darkness of World War I, Blessed Emperor Karl gave all his energies to stop the war. Even if he had no choice but to really go to war, he exhausted all means to make the treatment of others humanely as possible and to make the soldiers act morally.
Blessed Emperor Karl’s actions are perfect examples that modern day leaders of today should emulate. If only all of our world leaders are like Blessed Emperor Karl, I’m pretty sure that soon enough poverty and suffering will be eradicated and we will all be living in a peaceful and abundant world.
Cebu City, Philippines
17/02/2009
I felt he [Emperor Karl] was going to be beatified by Pope John Paul II and my premonition turned out right. After all Pope John Paul’s II father was an officer in the Army of Blessed Karl. Now I have a feeling that Pope Benedict XVI will canonize Blessed Karl and with God’s help I shall be able to go to the canonization of this great emperor-king and see him proclaimed Patron of Europe. . . I still pray to Blessed Karl every day . . .
County Laois, Ireland
15/01/2009
His life is an example for us on how to be a faithful Catholic Christian. I commit myself to the obligation attached to membership.
Metro Manila, Philippines
11/01/2009
I have met some relatives and descendents of the Blessed Karl over the years, but only read of him and his works and faith recently. I am overwhelmed. Kindly enroll me as a member of the League of Prayers . . .
London, England
08/01/2009
Thanks for the beautiful biography you wrote about Bl. Charles. It is indeed a fitting tribute to him—a man, father, emperor and an example of fidelity to Christ. Now, I have been praying for Bl. Charles’ cause too . . .
Cebu City, Philippines
06/01/2009
I just recently bought the book ‘A Heart for Europe’ by James & Joanna Bogle. I bought it from EWTN’s website as a Christmas present to myself. I am a devout Catholic and a history buff. I was looking for a book on church history when I saw this book and decided it sounded interesting. My mother’s parents came from Poland and my father’s mother family was from Bavaria. Well, I fell in love with this couple Charles and Zita. . . I don’t think it is by chance that I found out about him and feel he must have wanted me to pray for him to be raised to the altars.
Carpentersville, Illinois
05/01/2009
What a hero. What a man he was. I read his story and can only pray, ‘Your Majesty, who is before the True Majesty, the King of Kings, by your prayers, obtain for me the grace to be truly majestic, to show the qualities that marks one as a true prince, an adopted son of God.’ God’s grace is truly a beautiful thing to behold in one such as this.
Necedah, Wisconsin
02/12/2008
I am a 38 year old catholic mother of 3 daughters residing in a small town called Delportshoop in South Africa. I’m experiencing a longing that I cannot describe, my soul needs feeding and I don’t know how. I came across this website of Emperor Karl of Austria and I thought who is this man that I had no knowledge of? I did some searching and read up on his life and wish I could be such a devout catholic.
Kimberly, South Africa
27/11/2008
I watched a History channel show about Emperor Karl this morning and felt compelled to look up information on the League of Prayers on the internet. As a student of Central European History, I am an admirer of the life of Emperor Karl. As a Christian, I am compelled to belong to an organization that prayers for peace.
Tiverton, Rhode Island
27/11/2008
Escribo con profunda emonción.
La vida del Emperador me ayuda en mi vida cristiana. Es ejemplo de padres, esposos y politicos. Deseo ser santo como él.
Muchas gracias por esta iniciativa de la página web. Desero participar en lo possible desde Madrid.
Gracias, gracias, gracias
Madrid , Spain
28/04/2005
I am a PhD candidate in the latter phases of obtaining my doctorate in Systematic Theology. I took my comprehensive exams last November, after preparing for them for two years. Work, my family and other concerns had slowed my preparation, and as the fall semester began, I was rather uneasy about my level of preparation and I began to study intensely in anticipation of the coming exams.
I frequently placed my efforts under the patronage of Our Lady, St. Thomas, St. John Cupertino (for obvious reasons) and also Blessed Karl, as I followed the news of his beatification with interest during the preceding month. Deeply uncertain about whether I would pass, I pledged to report any favor of success to the cause of Blessed Karl as part of my prayer to him.
When the fateful week came, I worked intensely on my written answers, and I still dreaded the oral exam. Immediately beforehand, I placed my trust in the aforementioned saints and made a profession of faith before the Blessed Sacrament. During the exam itself, I did surprisingly well. At a few distinct points in the intense process, I felt my own surprise at the clarity of my responses and tenacity of my normally quite faulty memory. I passed -- quite contrary to my expectations -- and moreover, I was awarded distinction.
I do not think this was merely a case of pre-exam nerves. I've been through many tests before. I tend to estimate my preparation well enough. I also do not have the personality which constantly attributes any inexplicable thing in my life to divine intervention -- though, of course, as a Catholic I believe the scope of God's providence is limitless and continual. Yet I felt something more than my own exertion was at work in this undertaking, and that this illumination may be in part due to my heavenly patrons.
Therefore, to fulfill the vow I made, I pass this along to you. As I said, I do not consider this a miracle nor did I invoke Blessed Karl exclusively. I was touched by the story of Sr. Gradowska and so I felt at the time when I made my petition to Blessed Karl that I should not invoke him exclusively, so that perhaps the further miracles will also come from those who do not already possess prior affection for the Habsburg dynasty.
United States of America
10/01/2005
Vorrei solo riferire un episodio cui mio nonno Giuseppe Frappa (classe 1909) assistette a Camino al Tagliamento durante la prima Guerra Mondiale.
In quei giorni, (non so la data di preciso) il Beato Imperatore si trovava a Camino al Tagliamento in provincia di Udine, per assistere ad alcune manovre che si tenevano sul greto del fiume Tagliamento.
Mio nonno mi ha raccontato che, presumibilmente dal campanile della Chiesa Parrocchiale, partì un colpo di fucile verso la torre di Palazzo Stroili dove, al momento si trovava l'Imperatore con alcuni membri dello stato maggiore. Di tale presumibile attentato è stata data testimonianza scritta su impulso degli eredi dei proprietari del Palazzo, la famiglia Stroili e può essere reperita e consultata. Mio nonno rimase altresì assai colpito dal fatto che l'imperatore ordinasse la presenza di un picchetto di soldati per accompagnare la processione del Corpus Domini che in quei giorni si tenne in paese. Me lo raccontò con molta ammirazione perchè la famiglia Frappa, cui appartengo, è una famiglia molto antica (documentata fin dal XV secolo) e dalle forti tradizioni cattoliche.
Colgo l'occasione per esprimere la mia personale gioia per la betificazione dell'ultimo imperatore della Casa d'Austria, cui la mia regione, il Friuli, è stata per secoli legata.
Trieste, Italy
05/01/2004
E' una vita esemplare di laico cristiano che può insegnare perchè fare politica è la più alta forma di carità ( Paolo VI)
28/09/2004
Ce n, ‘est pas le rand qui fait le serviteur de Dieu mais la conscience de soi vis-à-vis de Dieu. Cela l’empereur Charles I’a véco. Il est un exemple pour chacun, quelque soit sa place dans la sociéte.
France
28/09/2004
Let us sing the praises of the Lord! He has answered our prayers, Emperor
Karl shall be beatified!
I shall regret to my dying day that I am unable to be in the company of
the other members of the League at that time.
Sorrowful, sorrowful day that I shall not see the Holy Father and members
of the Habsburg family, in particular Dr. Otto von Habsburg.
South Carolina
27/09/2004
Que signifie pour nous la béatifcation du Serviteur de Dieu !
C'est un témoignage exemplaire de fidélité , du sens du devoir accompli et de l'honneur rendu à notre Seigneur Jésus Christ ! C'est une raison d'espèrer pour notre pays qui souffre de sa perte d'identité , et d'absence d'unité autour d'un prince ou d'un roi chrétien. C'est aussi une espérance pour l'Europe , qui, si elle veut bien se souvenir de ses racines
chrétiennes , serait une source de bénédictions. Nous remercions Le Saint Père pour ce témoignage et tous ceux qui ont participé ou décidé de cette béatification à laquelle nous nous unissons de grand coeur par la neuvaine de prières .
France
25/09/2004
Je ne pourrai être à Rome pour la béatification du vénérable Charles 1er de Habsbourg, je le regrette. Je découvre la vie du vénérable, je suis touché de voir comment l'Empereur Charles a sanctifié ses épreuves, et combien il semble toujours avoir été dans l'Eternité. Fut-il une victime offerte en réparation des crimes de la guerre ? Curieusement en 1917 le Sacré Coeur de Jésus se manifestait à une sainte femme - Claire Ferchaud dont l'action fut encouragée par Mgr Humbrecht évêque de Poitiers - pour hâter la venue de la Paix. De ce côté là non plus les appels divins ne furent pas écoutés par le gouvernement laïc , les mêmes qui refusèrent le plan de paix proposé par l'Empereur Charles.
De plus, je ne peux séparer le futur bienheureux de l'image rayonnante de l'Impératrice Zita, de celle d'une famille qui perpétue l'idéal le plus haut de la noblesse et de la chevalerie chrétienne.
Confrontés à de très gros problèmes - notamment professionnels - je ne manquerai pas de prier avec assiduité l'Empereur Charles, particulièrement cette semaine qui précède sa béatification. Puisse son intercession me conduire sur le chemin de la conversion.
France
25/09/2004
La cultura cattolica deve rivalutare il ruolo delle abtiche aristicrazia europe. La beaticazione di Carlo d’Asburgo è un fatto importante. Idopo il crollo del Sacro Romano Impero la cultura cattolica, in Europa, si e ridotta a assistenza soprattutto dei neghittosi e ha prodotto personaggi che interpretano la povertà come stato permanente delle persone “La cd l’solidarietà” dei cattocoministi si concretizza in una neoburoceazia inefficiente e sciupona e la solidarietà. In europa, si traduce in rimborsi spese per i volontari o in manifestazioni no global Aguotetto insegna, nonè mica andatiin Iraq, solidale si soprattutto se i soldi oi mettono gli altri.
Sperando che da questa beatificazione si capisca cosa significa essere solidati, si deve dare del proprio spero in un ripensamento storico della nobilità.
Italy
25/09/2004
We are an extended family from the United States that is making a pilgrimage to Budapest, Vienna and finally to Rome for the Beatification of Venerable Charles of Austria, Emperor and King. . . . We have spent most of our careers working for good Government and we realize how important it is to have holy leaders like Emperor Karl I. We really need his intercession in today’s world. . . . All of us are profoundly happy to be sharing in the celebration of Emperor Charles’ beatification. . . .
United States of America
15/09/2004
I was very blessed by reading about the last Emperor of Österreich.
Norway
05/09/2004
Der hohe Tugendgrad Kaiser und König Karls, den er selbst in den schwierigsten Lebenssituationen nicht verlor, sein unerschütterliches Gottvertrauen sowie sein ganz auf den Allmáchtigen ausgerichteter Lebenswandel, wird allen Kindern der pilgernden Kirche reichlich Trost, Kraft und Mut spenden, den Weg, den uns unser Herr Jesus Christus vorgegeben hat, ubeirrbar einzuschlagen oder weiterzugehen.
Die Auseinandersetzung mit der Person Kaiser und König Karls in meiner Gymnasialzeit, hat mein Leben von Grund auf zum Positiven gewendet und ich glaube, vielen anderen wird es eben so ergehen. Umso mehr können Sie meine Freude verstehen, welche ich empfand, als ich von der baldigen Seligsprechung des Dieners Gottes Kaiser Karl erfuhr.
Es geschehe, es werde ewig gelobt und gepriesen der gerechteste, höchste und liebenswürdigste Wille Gottes in allem!
Vienna
19/07/2004
Als Mitglied der Paneuropa-Bewegung bzw. Aktion ist mir die Seligsprechung Kaiser Karls jedenfalls ein Anliegen – ich bin von seiner hervorragenden christlichen Persönlichkeit überzeugt.
Europe
16/07/2004