The Archbishop Who Defied the Nazis, the Nun Who Built EWTN, and the Last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury
Reginald Pole consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Damaskinos defied the Nazis to save 27,000 Jews, and Mother Angelica died on Easter Sunday.
The Archbishop Who Defied Hitler, the Nun Who Built a Media Empire, and the Last Catholic Leader of Canterbury
This week in Christian history marks three extraordinary moments that shaped the faith across centuries and continents, from Tudor England to Nazi occupied Greece to modern day Alabama.
On March 22, 1556, Reginald Pole was consecrated as the Archbishop of Canterbury, making him the last Roman Catholic to hold that office. The day before, Pole had been ordained a priest at Greyfriars Church in Greenwich, with Queen Mary Tudor herself in attendance. Pole had been appointed papal legate to England when Mary ascended the throne in 1553 and landed at Dover on November 20, 1554. He absolved the English nation from schism on November 30 of that year, ushering in the short lived Catholic Restoration and introducing Tridentine discipline and reforms to the English Church.
On March 23, 1943, Archbishop Damaskinos of Athens became the only major Christian leader in Nazi occupied Europe to openly and publicly defy the Third Reich's persecution of Jews. When he learned of the deportation of Thessaloniki's Jewish population to Auschwitz, Damaskinos spearheaded a formal letter of protest to the German authorities, composed by Greek poet Angelos Sikianos and signed by Athens' leading intellectuals.
The letter described Jews as "law abiding citizens" and "valuable contributors to the economic growth" of Greece. When Nazi General Jurgen Stroop threatened him with execution by firing squad, Damaskinos replied that Orthodox prelates are "hung and not shot," and asked the Germans to "respect our traditions."
Beyond words, Damaskinos ordered his priests to distribute forged Christian baptismal certificates to Jewish families, saving an estimated 27,000 Greek Jews from the death camps. Yad Vashem later honored him as Righteous Among the Nations.
On March 27, 2016, Easter Sunday, Mother Angelica passed away at age 92 at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama. Born Rita Antoinette Rizzo in 1923, she became an American Catholic nun of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration. In 1981, she began broadcasting religious programming from a converted garage in Birmingham, Alabama. That modest beginning grew into EWTN, now the largest Catholic media corporation in the world, with 11 television channels broadcasting in multiple languages to over 435 million households across more than 160 countries.
How a Greek Archbishop, a Catholic Nun, and a Tudor Cardinal Changed Christian History Forever
Pope Benedict XVI awarded Mother Angelica the Papal Medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice in 2009 for her distinguished service to the Catholic Church. Pope Francis called her "a holy woman" following her death. Her legacy continues through the network she built from nothing, reaching millions with Catholic teaching every single day.
The Crusader's Opinion
Three stories, one truth: Christianity has always produced men and women of extraordinary courage. Reginald Pole risked everything for unity with Rome. Archbishop Damaskinos stared down the most murderous regime in human history and told them to hang him properly. Mother Angelica turned a garage into a global broadcast empire because the world needed to hear the Gospel unfiltered.
Where are these Christians today? We live in an age of comfortable silence while our brothers and sisters are persecuted across the globe. Damaskinos did not form a committee. He forged baptismal certificates. He saved 27,000 lives. That is what faith in action looks like. No excuses, no waiting for permission, just obedience to God over man.
Take Action
- Watch EWTN programming at www.ewtn.com and share Mother Angelica's legacy with your parish community.
- Visit the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Alabama, where Mother Angelica is buried, and pray for continued Catholic media evangelization.
- Learn about Christians who rescued Jews during the Holocaust and share their stories with your children and grandchildren. Start at www.yadvashem.org.
- Support persecuted Christians worldwide through www.TheShepherdsShield.org and Open Doors USA.
- Pray for Christian unity across all denominations. Pole, Damaskinos, and Mother Angelica were Catholic and Orthodox, yet their courage speaks to every Christian.
