by Charles A. Coulombe
Oct. 3, 2004, saw what appeared to many to be a very strange thing: Emperor-King Charles of Austria-Hungary was declared a Blessed by St. John Paul II. But odd as this appeared, the real story of the “Peace Emperor” and his remarkable wife reads like a combination of a suspense thriller, Greek tragedy and hagiography.
A brave soldier coming to the throne during a war whose start he had no part in, he risked everything to bring the bloody conflict to an end.
Betrayed on all sides, his deep devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary helped him to avoid hating those who wronged him.
Devoted to his wife and children, Charles succeeded in leading a pious and practical Catholic family life despite everything.
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