Edward Poppe

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II
Feast10 June
AttributesPriest's attire
Patronage
  • Moerzeke
  • Laborers
  • Military chaplains

Edward Poppe (18 December 1890 – 10 June 1924) was a

Roman Catholic priest who advocated for the frequent reception of the sacraments and established a children's league dedicated to the Eucharist; he was a strong critic of Marxism and materialism as well as rampant secularism in his region. As a writer and pastor, he advocated for the rights of common laborers. He started his ministry in Ghent
but ill health forced him to move.

Poppe's cause for beatification opened on 5 April 1966 under

Saint Peter's Square
on 3 October 1999.

Life

Childhood and education

Edward Joannes Maria Poppe was born in Temse on 18 December 1890 as the third of eight children to the baker Dèsirè Aloies Poppe and Josepha Ogiers. One brother became a priest, five sisters were nuns, and one daughter remained home alone with her mother.

He was an energetic child and an excellent student.

Confirmation and this made him more serious which meant jokes and teasing became rarer. In spring 1904 his father introduced him to his business plans and had hoped to see his son begin a baking apprenticeship though Poppe remained silent at first though his resolution to become a priest led him to tell his father as much. Not long after a priest friend to his parents gave a favorable opinion of Poppe's vocation to which his father told his mother: "Let's not be selfish. God has not given us our children for ourselves".[2][1] He studied at the Sint-Niklaas St. Joseph Minor Seminary from 1905 until 1910 where he became a member the De Klauwaerts association which was a student movement in the Flemish Movement before World War I
.

Despite his father's death on 10 January 1907 he was able to continue his studies. He was drafted in September 1910 and being a seminarian made him a target for harassment (he was mocked and provoked) while his companions' vulgar nature was unendurable to him to what he called "a hell".[1] He was also quite pained that he could not receive the Eucharist and go to Mass each week due to the service. But his time in the service still allowed for him to do his philosophical studies. He liked to read poems which was something he had done since his childhood.[3]

He began his studies in

Major Seminary of Ghent for his studies where he became a member of the Filioli Caritatis which was a group of priests who aimed for holiness. On 14 July 1913 he graduated in letters and philosophical studies at Louvain.[3]

The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Poppe called to arms as a battlefield nurse on 1 August but he fell ill in Namur at Bourlers on 25 August after having been at the battle site since 4 August. He was placed in an ambulance van and taken to Bourlers where the priest Castelain took care of him until December. In his period of recuperation the Germans advancing had with them several prisoners of war and he appealed to Saint Joseph that these men be freed which led to their miraculous freeing all except a Frenchman; Poppe renewed the appeal and the Frenchman returned.[1] Father Castelain also told him about the life of Antoine Chevrier. Once he recovered he went to Mechelen to continue with his ecclesial studies in April 1915 after Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier obtained for him a dispensation to leave the armed forces.[2]

Edward Poppe

Priesthood

On 1 May 1916 he was ordained to the priesthood. His motto was "Accendatur" in reference to

Luke 12: 49. Poppe became the parish associate pastor in Sint-Coleta on 16 June 1916 which was a poor laborers' parish in Ghent. He started the Eucharistic League for the children (he dedicated this to Pope Pius X) and introduced them to the countless aspects of the faith and also taught catechism and handed children devotional cards.[1]
He also made it a practice to greet workers after their shifts ended in the late afternoon. Poppe chose to live in material poverty in order to be like his parishioners.

His manner of living weakened him. In July 1917, he was transferred to a

Extreme Unction) though spent his time recovering in his bed while writing letters and articles that were criticisms of materialism and Marxism. He suffered a much more serious heart attack on 8 June and could no longer see visitors or celebrate Mass. He recovered over the next several months, making a trip to visit the tomb of Thérèse of Lisieux in France on 15 September 1920.[1][2][3]

Declining health and death

Improvement in his health saw him appointed as the spiritual leader of the armed forces school in

Sacred Heart of Jesus
as he died.

Post-mortem

Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier promoted him as an ideal of a good priest who was spiritual and ascetic and who was prepared to sacrifice his life for the faith. His birth house in Temse has become a museum and the street is renamed "Priester Poppestraat"; another museum can be found in the Moerzeke convent. There are statues of Poppe in both Moerzeke and Ghent.

Beatification

The beatification process opened in Ghent in an informative process that spanned from 21 March 1946 until its closure on 29 September 1952. His cause was formally opened on 6 December 1952, granting him the title of

Venerable
.

One miracle was required for his beatification which had to be a healing that science could not explain and account for. One such miracle was investigated in the diocese of its origin from 4–19 January 1996 at which stage all documentation was sent to Rome and received C.C.S. validation in a decree on 28 June 1996. Medical experts approved this healing as a miracle on 6 November 1997 as did the theologians on 31 March 1998 and the C.C.S. members on 1 July 1998. John Paul II issued his approval to this miracle on 3 July 1998 and beatified Poppe in

Saint Peter's Square
on 3 October 1999.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Blessed Edward Johannes Maria Poppe". Saints SQPN. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Spiritual Newsletter". Abbey of Saint-Joseph de Clairval. 13 May 2001. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d "Blessed Edward Poppe". Santi e Beati. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  4. ^ Index ac status causarum beatificationis servorum dei et canonizationis beatorum (in Latin). Typis polyglottis vaticanis. January 1953. p. 61.

Sources

  • Ghesquière, Rita; Quaghebeur, Patricia, eds. (2002). Averbode, een uitgever apart. 1877-2002. Kadoc Artes 6 (in Dutch). Averbode:
    ISBN 90-5867-232-8
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Edward_Poppe&oldid=1209105453"