Edward Poppe
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Blessed Edward Poppe |
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Bust.
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| Priest | |
| Born |
18 December 1890 Tamise, Namur, Belgium |
| Died | 10 June 1924 (aged 33) Moerzeke, Hamme, Belgium |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 3 October 1999, Saint Peter's Square, Vatican City by Pope John Paul II |
| Feast | 10 June |
| Attributes | Priest's attire |
| Patronage |
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Blessed Edward Poppe (18 December 1890 - 10 June 1924) was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest. Poppe was an advocate for the frequent reception of the sacraments and established a children's league dedicated to the Eucharist; he was a strong critic of Marxism and materialism as well as rampant secularism in his region. He was also a dedicated pastor who was strong in his support for the rights of the common laborer and people in Ghent came to love him for all the positive work he did. But his time in Ghent came to close due to ill health which forced him to move though he was an extensive writer during his illnesses.
Poppe's beatification cause commenced on 5 April 1966 under Pope Paul VI and he became titled as a Servant of God as a result while the affirmation of his life of heroic virtue saw Pope John Paul II name him as Venerable on 30 June 1986. That same pope beatified Poppe in Saint Peter's Square on 3 October 1999.
Edward Joannes Maria Poppe was born in Temse on 18 December 1890 as the third of eight children to the baker Dèsirè Aloies Poppe (25.12.1851-10.01.1907) and Josepha Ogiers (31.08.1863-21.10.1947). One brother became a priest while five sisters were nuns and one daughter remained home alone with her mother; his siblings were:
He was an energetic child and an excellent student. His mischievousness saw him often knock things over even putting himself at risk of being harmed. He was also quite stubborn and never left his sisters alone though his sisters would often get back at him and would muss up his hair when he was caught combing in front of the mirror. He was also a big eater and liked to devour treats from his father's store. But in 1902 he received his First Communion and Confirmation and this made him more serious which meant jokes and teasing became rarer. In spring 1904 his father introduced him to his business plans and had hoped to see his son begin a baking apprenticeship though Poppe remained silent at first though his resolution to become a priest led him to tell his father as much. Not long after a priest friend to his parents gave a favorable opinion of Poppe's vocation to which his father told his mother: "Let's not be selfish. God has not given us our children for ourselves". He studied at the Sint-Niklaas St. Joseph Minor Seminary from 1905 until 1910 where he became a member the De Klauwaerts association which was a student movement in the Flemish Movement before World War I.
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