In this article, the ECE Province reflects on the recent opening of the beatification process for Father Alfred Delp SJ, a Jesuit priest and resistance fighter executed by the National Socialists in 1945. His life exemplifies the Jesuit vocation lived with courage, intellectual engagement, and unwavering commitment to justice, offering a source of inspiration for Jesuits and lay collaborators across Europe today.

On Monday, February 2, a solemn Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady in Munich marked the official opening of the beatification process for Father Alfred Delp, the Jesuit priest and member of the German resistance who was executed by the National Socialists on February 2, 1945. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich and Freising, presided over the Mass, which coincided with both the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas) and the “Day of Consecrated Life.” During the celebration, following an address by Vice-Postulator Father Toni Witwer SJ, Cardinal Marx formally opened the beatification process and appointed the members of the ecclesiastical tribunal responsible for overseeing the proceedings.

“For the National Socialists, Alfred Delp’s Christian conviction in the freedom and dignity of all people was a threat so great that they imprisoned, humiliated, and ultimately executed him,” Cardinal Marx said. “We begin his beatification in full awareness that even today, voices are rising that see the oppression of others as a sign of strength. We oppose them: it is not violence, hatred, or nationalism that make a society strong, but humanity, justice, and freedom.”

A Witness of Faith and Resistance

Father Delp (1907–1945) entered history as a Jesuit witness to faith in the face of tyranny. He joined the Society of Jesus in 1926 and became editor of the Jesuit journal Stimmen der Zeit (Voices of the Times). After the journal was banned by the Nazis, he served as rector of St. George’s Church in Munich-Bogenhausen from 1941, using sermons and writings to speak out against National Socialist ideology and its hostility toward Christianity.

In 1942, through his provincial superior, Delp made contact with the Kreisau Circle, a group of intellectuals and politicians planning a future social order in Germany. He contributed insights from Catholic social teaching and justice, offering a faith-based perspective to their discussions. Arrested in July 1944 due to his connections with the Kreisau Circle and the July 20 plot against Hitler, Delp remained steadfast in his faith. Fellow Jesuit Franz von Tattenbach SJ administered his final vows in prison, despite Delp’s hands being bound.

Sentenced to death in January 1945 by the People’s Court, Delp wrote: “My crime is that I believed in Germany even beyond a possible hour of need and darkness… as a Catholic Christian and as a Jesuit.” He was executed on February 2, 1945, at Berlin’s Plötzensee execution site, and his ashes were scattered on the Berlin sewage fields.

The Beatification Process

With the opening of the diocesan phase of Delp’s beatification, all faithful are invited to provide information to the ecclesiastical tribunal, whether regarding his life, works, or prayers answered through his intercession. Contributions can be sent by mail to the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Specialist for Beatification Processes, Dr. Johannes Modesto, P.O. Box 33 03 60, 80063 Munich, Germany) or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The tribunal will interview witnesses and assess Delp’s writings, both published and unpublished, focusing on his persecution, imprisonment, and martyrdom. This diocesan phase is expected to last several years before the process moves to the Roman phase under the Postulator General at the Vatican Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

Father Alfred Delp SJ’s life remains a powerful testament to Jesuit fidelity, courage, and intellectual and spiritual engagement in the face of oppression—a witness whose example continues to inspire Jesuits and all who defend justice and human dignity today.