Dicastery for Saints: Father Kapaun is named Venerable!
Great news from Rome: Father Kapaun has been named Venerable!
Bishop Carl Kemme is pleased to announce that on February 24, 2025, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the Decree concerning the offer of life of Servant of God Emil Kapaun.
“As bishop of the Diocese of Wichita where Father Emil Kapaun was ordained and served and where he is now entombed in the Cathedral, I join his family, our diocesan family, parishioners in Pilsen, his brother priests, men and women in the armed forces, past, present and future, and indeed everyone of faith in giving thanks that Pope Francis has advanced his cause by declaring him to be Venerable. I encourage everyone to continue to pray for his intercession in every situation so that many more graces and divine favors will be received because of his powerful prayers. Venerable Emil Kapaun, pray for us!”
This Decree is a formal recognition that, after a life of virtue, Kapaun freely and voluntarily made the supreme act of charity: offering his life for his fellow prisoners of war. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” says Jesus (John 15:13).
The publication of the Decree opens the door for the investigation of alleged miracles needed as supernatural evidence to further the cause. One miracle will need to be approved for beatification. A second approved miracle, occurring after the beatification itself, will be needed for canonization as a saint.
Over the years we have received testimony of several instances of alleged miraculous intercession by Father Kapaun. Some of these potential miracles date back nearly two decades, while others occurred very recently. One or two will be sent in detail to the Dicastery for Saints in Rome for review by both theologians and medical experts before papal approval is given. This process will likely take many years before beatification could happen.
Bishop Kemme and all of us here at Father Kapaun’s Cause are immensely grateful for your prayers and support. This is a thrilling step, and we can now begin to address Father Kapaun as the Venerable Servant of God Emil Kapaun, or more commonly, “Venerable Emil Kapaun”.
Now, as much as ever, our work is to continue to pray and share Venerable Kapaun’s story. We ask him to intercede for us, that we all may follow his example of hope, courage, and selfless sacrifice for God and the good of those around us.
More about the offering of life:
The way that Venerable Emil Kapaun offered his life is held up for us as a model for holiness and fruitfulness in our modern day.
This offering was not just a one-time event. In a letter to his bishop, Father Kapaun writes: “When I was ordained, I was determined to ‘spend myself’ for God. I was determined to do that cheerfully, no matter in what circumstances I would be placed or how hard a life I would be asked to lead.”
From the moment he stepped foot on the Korean battlefield, Chaplain Kapaun willingly put his life in danger so that he could minister to his men both spiritually and physically. This culminated in the fateful decision to remain with the wounded during the Battle of Unsan rather than seeking to escape. After his capture, Venerable Kapaun stepped up his calling to serve his men. He continued to offer his life through daily acts of charity and self-denial. By these actions he brought hope, peace and comfort to the men suffering in the darkness of the prison camp.
At the very end, his Communist captors saw an opportunity to remove him from the American soldiers who were caring for him, effectively cutting short his life. The men wanted to fight to protect their chaplain, but Father Kapaun stopped them so they would not be harmed. “Don’t worry about me,” he said. “I’m going where I always wanted to go, and when I get there, I’ll say a prayer for all of you.” He died neglected in the camp death house on May 23, 1951, but not before asking his men to “Tell my bishop I died a happy death.”
As his friend, Lt. Mike Dowe, said, “He gave and gave until he gave his life.”