On 13 April 2003, John Paul II declared Charles venerable and issued the decree proclaiming the heroism of his virtues:
He was a man of strong moral integrity and solid faith, who always sought the best for his people, and in his acts of government conformed to the social doctrine of the Church. He nurtured the ideals of justice and peace with a constant call holiness. He was a Christian, a husband, a father, an exemplary monarch.”
John Paul II
On 3 October 2004, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Emperor Charles of Austria, along with four other servants of God, Blessed and said in his homily:
The decisive duty of the Christian is to seek in everything the will of God, to recognize it and to follow it. The statesman and Christian Charles of Austria set himself this challenge daily. He was a friend of peace. He considered war to be “a horrible thing.” When he came to power in the turmoil of the First World War, he tried to promote the peace initiative of my predecessor Benedict XV.
From the beginning, Emperor Charles considered his position as a holy service to his subjects. His main concern was to follow the Christian’s vocation to holiness[1] also in his political action. Therefore, it was important for him that love of neighbor be translated into social laws. May he be an example for all of us, especially those who today have political responsibility in Europe[2]!”
John Paul II
[1] St John Paul II, Message for the XX19th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 21 April 2022.
[2] Homily of St. John Paul II, 3 October 2004
The private virtues of a Christian, husband and father do not preclude the political virtues of Charles. This is the meaning of the words of Saint John Paul II on the following day, 4 October, at the Mass of thanksgiving:
Charles of Austria always seeked to honor God’s will. Faith was the criterion of his responsibility as sovereign and father. Following his example, may faith in God determine the direction of your life! May the blessed accompany you on your pilgrimage to the heavenly home.”
John Paul II
On 11 May 2022, the year of the centenary of the death of Bishop Charles, Bishop Nuno Bràs of Funchal (Madeira) declared that Blessed Charles would be the patron saint of the World Youth Day in our diocese… , because Blessed Charles was a young man who took on the mission that God entrusted to him and a young man who is an example for each of us[1].”
The liturgical feast of Blessed Charles is fixed on 21 October, the day of his marriage to Zita and not on 1 April, the day of his return to the Father, as is the tradition in the Church.
[1] Jornal da Madeira – 12 May 2022
Towards the canonization of Emperor Charles
Since 1949, the actor of the cause of beatification and, since 2004, of canonization of Blessed Charles, is an Austrian association called: Gebetsliga für den Völkerfrieden (Prayer League for Peace among the Peoples; Short: Gebetsliga/ Prayer League).
This association is represented in France by Ms. Elizabeth Montfort (secretary of the French Association for the Beatification and Canonization of Empress Zita) and regularly publishes information on the site: https://bienheureuxcharlesdautriche.com
Each year, the League of Prayer organizes in France a Holy Mass on 1 April, the anniversary date of Blessed Charles’s death, and a Holy Mass on 21 October, day of his liturgical feast.
