Vatican holds unprecedented beatification of Polish family of 9 killed for hiding Jews

In an unprecedented move, the Vatican has beatified a Polish family of nine — parents and their small children — who were all executed for having sheltered Jews during World War II. Last year Pope Francis declared the Ulma family, including the child that Wiktoria Ulma was pregnant with, martyrs for the Catholic faith, and paved the way for the beatification Mass taking place Sunday in the village of Markowa. The Ulmas were killed there in 1944, together with the eight Jews they were hiding at home. The Catholic Church faced a dilemma because the unborn child had not been baptized. The Vatican’s saint-making office issued a clarification last week saying the child received “baptism by blood” and can be beatified.