September 05th, 2018

While a prisoner in the German Socialists' Auscwhitz death camp, did Captain Witold Pilecki (a WWII hero among heros) witness the selfless heroism of Father Maximilian Kolbe?

Here is an excerpt from Captain Pilecki's "Report":

"Selection for death was done immediately after the roll-call on which the absence of an escaper was fixed. In front of the block, which stood in ten rows and from which the escape was done, the commander of the camp arrived with his suite and coming along the line, waved his hand at a prisoner who pleased him or rather who did not please .. An "inspected" row did five steps of "forward march" and the suite walked along a next one.

"From some rows several people were selected, from others - nobody. It was best to look death in the face - such one was generally not selected. Not all were able to keep their nerves and sometimes somebody behind the back of the commission run forward, into the already inspected row - mainly he was noticed and taken to death.

"One time an event occurred that upon selection of a young prisoner, an old priest stepped forward and asked the commander of the camp to select him and to release that young one from penalty. The block got petrified out of impression. The commander agreed. The hero priest went to death, while that prisoner returned to the rank."

VIVA CRISTO REY! Niech żyje Chrystus Król!