Blessed Karl: An Intercessor During Coronavirus

Karl and Zita during their engagement, 1911

By Charles A. Coulombe

For centuries, the saints of the Roman Catholic Church have served as both examples of the devout and holy life and advocates for all in various needs. When it comes to concerns for our health and that of our loved ones, we should always turn in prayer and intercession to the saints.

As the global community grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, it is now, more than ever, apropos to turn to the saints for intercession, particularly Blessed Karl of Austria. He is a supremely appropriate patron against this disease because:

1) He died of a lung disease (pneumonia) after much suffering, and for that matter, his wife Servant of God Empress Zita, who heroically cared for him during his final days, is a good patroness for those nursing the sick at this time.

2) He viewed and welcomed every illness as an opportunity to anchor his sufferings in the passion of Christ.

3) Nearly all the towns and cities in Karl and Zita’s former empire contain a "Marian" or "Plague" column—a large sculptural monument built in thanksgiving for the ending of a plague or illness.

4) He experienced the effects of war, poverty, and sickness—realities we experience now—and made humanitarian works accessibly to all peoples of his empire, especially during wartime.

Blessed Karl at prayer during a Requiem Mass on the front, ca. 1917

5) Karl and Zita’s grandson and heir, Archduke Karl, is currently affected by the illness but recovering.

6) Karl and Zita’s great-grandson and heir, Archduke Ferdinand, is part of the Austrian army, and working with his fellow countrymen to keep food and medical supplies flowing to the quarantined Austrian people.

You are doubtless as fearful as I am—and everyone else—of what the future may hold. Shall people we love be affected and potentially die? How long will it take the economy to recover? Will we lose our homes and jobs, and how will we provide for our loved ones? Will there be civil unrest? Will things ever get back to “normal”— and what will that “normal” be like? Well, the emperor and his wife went through all of that as their world collapsed around them, and most of the things they loved were progressively destroyed. But in the midst of betrayal, destruction, and heartache, they chose the path of Faith and Love, comforting one another as best they could and staying close to Our Lord, Our Lady, and the saints.

Blessed Karl knows what we are going through—first-hand. So make him an advocate and intercessor especially at this time.

Beatvs Carlovs, Ora Pro Nobis! | Blessed Karl, Pray For Us!