CARDINAL PELL RECIPIENT OF VON GALEN AWARD
Babette Francis
Human Life International, which defines itself as "Pro- Life Missionaries
to the World", is indeed one of the major activist international
pro-life organisations, both in spiritual and political terms, HLI has
affiliates and associates in 100 countries worldwide, and its indefatigable
President, Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, travels the world educating, exhorting
and helping local pro-lifers, priests, nuns, seminarians and lay people
to fight the culture of death. I am privileged to represent HLI in Australia.
In November 2009 at a dinner organised by Chiang Lim, Executive Officer
of NSW Right to Life in Sydney, I had the pleasure of presenting HLI's
"Cardinal von Galen Award" to His Eminence Cardinal George Pell.
Blessed Clemens August Graf von Galen, Bishop of Munster, Germany, and
later appointed Cardinal, was born in 1878 and died in 1946. He was a
German count who was educated at the Stella Matutina Jesuit school. After
his ordination he worked in Berlin at Saint Matthias, where he became
close friends with Nuncio Eugenio Pacelli, later to be Pope Pius XII.
Cardinal von Galen was an outspoken critic of the Nazi regime. He issued
forceful public denunciations of the Third Reich's euthanasia programs
and persecution of the Catholic Church, making him one of the most visible
and unrelenting internal voices of dissent against the Nazis.
Fr. Euteneuer's citation on the presentation of the "Cardinal von
Galen Award" to Cardinal Pell read as follows:
"Your Eminence,
"As President of Human Life International and on behalf of our worldwide
network of pro-life and pro-family organisations, I congratulate you on
the able leadership you are giving the faithful Catholics of Australia
in these difficult times.
"Our admiration for your courage and boldness in proclaiming the
Gospel of Life prompted us to confer our Cardinal von Galen award on you.
This honour is named after Blessed Cardinal August Clemens von Galen,
the "Lion of Munster", who openly criticised Hitler's euthanasia
program.
Past recipients include Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, Cardinal Ricardo
Vidal, Cardinal Christian Tumi, Archbishop Raymond Burke and a few select
others.
"Mrs. Babette Francis with her Endeavour Forum represents HLI in
Australia. I have asked her to present you with the HLI von Galen award
in person. Our outreach has expanded greatly in the past few years to
over 100 countries now. This includes places in your part of the world
previously lacking an organised pro-life movement such as Papua New Guinea
and East Timor. We plan to continue to assist the Church in spreading
the Gospel of Life worldwide.
"With gratitude and respect, I remain,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President. "
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