Blessed Charles of Austria
Blessed Karl of Austria (born August 17, 1887 AD in Persenbeug, Lower Austria, Austria; died April 1, 1922 AD in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal) — known in English as Blessed Charles of Austria, and in German as Kaiser Karl I (Emperor Karl I) — was the last Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1916–1918). A devout Catholic who sought to end World War I through secret peace negotiations (the "Sixtus Affair" of 1917), he was deposed at the end of the war and died in exile on the Portuguese island of Madeira at the age of 34. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004, in Rome. His feast day is October 21.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Charles of Austria
| Blessed Charles of Austria | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | October 21 |
| Profession | Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (1916–1918); last ruler of the House of Habsburg; statesman; head of state who sought peace in World War I; husband of Servant of God Empress Zita; father of eight children |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Austrian and Central European Catholic tradition; Habsburg Catholic dynasty; 20th-century lay blesseds; Order of the Golden Fleece |
| Patronage | Austria; Hungary; Czech Republic; Slovenia; Croatia; Bosnia; Catholic heads of state; those who suffer exile; those who seek peace in wartime; the Habsburgs; Madeira |
| Attributes | Imperial regalia (simplified in exile); cross and rosary; a white lily of peace; the Madeira landscape; imperial eagle of Austria (reduced to a private symbol); October 21 feast |
| Birthplace | Persenbeug Castle, Lower Austria, Austria |
| Death Place | Monte dos Tornos, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died April 1, 1922, on the island of Madeira from pneumonia; he was 34 years old; he had been deposed as Emperor of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I (November 1918) and forced into exile; two failed attempts to restore his throne in Hungary (1921) led to his final exile to Madeira, where he died in poverty in a small quinta (country house) on the hills above Funchal; his wife, the Servant of God Empress Zita, was at his bedside when he died; he left seven children (an eighth was born after his death); he was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004 |
| Primary Shrine | Chapel of Our Lady of Monte, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal — his tomb; October 21 feast; pilgrimage site; JPII beatification 2004 |
| Liturgical Class | Not in universal Roman calendar; October 21 feast in Austria, Hungary, and wherever Habsburgs are venerated |
| Historic Class | Not in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Karl Franz Joseph Ludwig Hubert Georg Otto Maria von Habsburg was born August 17, 1887, at Persenbeug Castle in Lower Austria, into the ancient Habsburg dynasty. He was the great-nephew of Emperor Franz Joseph I and became heir apparent in 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
He ascended to the throne on November 21, 1916, during World War I, as Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary (Karl I / IV. Károly). He married Princess Zita of Bourbon-Parma in 1911; they had eight children.
As Emperor, Karl attempted to end World War I through a secret peace initiative in 1917 (the "Sixtus Affair" — negotiations through Prince Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma). The attempt failed. He also attempted to mitigate the worst atrocities of the war and to reform the Austrian constitution.
At the end of the war (November 1918), Karl was forced to abdicate and went into exile in Switzerland. Two failed restoration attempts in Hungary (March and October 1921) led the Allied powers to exile him permanently to Madeira.
He died there on April 1, 1922, of pneumonia, at the age of 34, in poverty and exile.
He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on October 3, 2004. His feast day is October 21. He is buried in the Chapel of Our Lady of Monte in Funchal, Madeira.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Persenbeug Castle, Lower Austria, Austria
Death location: Monte dos Tornos, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
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Known shrines
- Chapel of Our Lady of Monte, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal — his tomb; October 21 feast; principal pilgrimage site.
Feast day
October 21
Veneration
Blessed Karl of Austria (1887–1922) was the last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary — the last Habsburg ruler — who attempted to end World War I through secret peace negotiations, was deposed in 1918, made two failed restoration attempts in Hungary, and died in poverty in exile on Madeira at 34, offering his sufferings for the peace of Europe; beatified John Paul II, October 3, 2004. Feast October 21.
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