29 Facts About Vilmos Apor

Baron Vilmos Apor de Altorja was a Hungarian Roman Catholic prelate, born as a baron in the noble Apor family, and served as a bishop during World War II.

Vilmos Apor became famous for protesting against the persecution of the Hungarian Jewish population and for his steadfast commitment to the poor.

Vilmos Apor's outreach extended to abuse victims with a particular emphasis on the protection of women - it would be this latter commitment that saw him sustain fatal injuries leading to his death.

Vilmos Apor was a beloved figure in his diocese, where people hailed him as a great saint upon learning of his death.

Vilmos Apor de Altorja was born in 1892 to the nobles Baron Gabor Apor and Countess Fidelia Palffy ab Erdod.

Vilmos Apor's father died in his childhood due to complications from diabetes.

Vilmos Apor's mother was strict but caring and imparted religious instruction to her children.

Vilmos Apor served as an altar server during his childhood and his love for the priesthood intensified such that he harbored an interest in becoming a priest himself.

Vilmos Apor attended high school at a Jesuit-run school in Kalksburg where his desires to become a priest intensified further despite his initial homesickness.

Vilmos Apor liked Latin as well as historical studies and received outstanding marks in these subjects while a treatise on the historical Church earned him a prize; he liked tennis and swimming.

Vilmos Apor decided to begin his studies for the priesthood despite his mother's wish that he wait a little while longer - she consented at Christmas in 1909 - and the local bishop was delighted to receive him in 1910 despite the fact that Apor was not there for long.

Vilmos Apor was at the old theological institute of Nikolaihaus for a brief period before moving to the new Canisianum.

Vilmos Apor was made a subdeacon on 22 August 1915 and was elevated to the diaconate on 23 August.

Vilmos Apor received his ordination to the priesthood on 24 August 1915 and he celebrated his first Mass on 25 August with his mother and sisters Henrietta and Gizella in attendance.

Vilmos Apor was first sent to Gyula on 31 August 1915 and he preached his first sermon on the following 8 September.

Vilmos Apor had received word from the papal nuncio Angelo Rotta of his appointment; the government had once recommended him to be an auxiliary bishop in 1936 and then as the Bishop of Veszprem in 1939 though both were denied.

Vilmos Apor took formal possession of his new episcopal see on 2 March 1941.

Vilmos Apor became noted for his strong dedication to the poor and his tireless commitment to a range of social justice issues.

Vilmos Apor appealed to the Gestapo headquarters in Berlin in an attempt to free the Jews of his diocese from the ghetto and negotiated with the Nazi command to spare the town from a siege.

Vilmos Apor provided supplies to those Jews being deported through his diocese and sheltered those made homeless after air raids in the episcopal palace while he himself withdrew to a small room for himself.

Several drunken Soviet soldiers arrived with the intention of bringing 100 women to their barracks, but Vilmos Apor had them well-hidden in the cellar.

Vilmos Apor lent on the arms of two of his aides and walked towards the cellar with blood coming from his forehead.

Professors Jung and Petz - who had known Vilmos Apor - performed the operation which seemed to be successful and saw a slight improvement on Holy Saturday when he received the Eucharist with his sister at his side.

Vilmos Apor thanked God for having accepted his sacrifice and for the fact that the women he protected were still safe.

Vilmos Apor remained lucid with his sister and Doctor Jung at his side in addition to the nurses and the parish priest.

Vilmos Apor died from his injuries not long after in the afternoon of 2 April 1945.

Vilmos Apor's remains were buried in a Carmelite church; his confessor was the Carmelite priest Erno Szeghy who had served as such since 1943 or 1944.

Vilmos Apor's remains were later relocated to the diocesan cathedral.

John Paul II confirmed on 7 July 1997 that Vilmos Apor was killed "in odium fidei" and thus approved his beatification.