Pope Francis to Beatify Fr. Giuseppe Beotti, Young Martyr Killed by Nazis

Italian parish priest Fr. Giuseppe Beotti will be Blessed!

Ordained on April 2, 1938, Giuseppe Beotti began his ministry as Curate in Val Tidone, in Borgonovo, Italy.

He always had a special sensitivity for those in need: according to some testimonies, he sent altar boys to deliver envelopes with money to needy families, with the commitment not to reveal the sender.

In 1940, he became parish priest in Sidolo, in the Ceno valley, an area which, together with the nearby Taro valley, soon became the site of German reprisals.

Fr. Giuseppe, even knowing the risk, welcomed and helped everyone, without distinction: Jews, partisans, and wounded soldiers.

On Sun., July 16, 1944, while the Germans were already in Borgotaro, he said at Mass: "If a sacrifice were still missing to make this war stop, Lord, take me!"

Giuseppe Beotti, Young Martyr killed by the Nazis: "As long as there is a soul to heal, I stay in my place."

On July 20, the Germans destroyed Sidolo. Fr. Giuseppe spent the night in prayer, together with seminarian Italo Subacchi and the parish priest of Porcigatone, Don Francesco Delnevo.

Up to the end, he remained close to his parishioners, offering his life: "As long as there is a soul to care for, I am in my place."

Fr. Giuseppe was shot, together with Italo Subacchi and Don Francesco Delnevo, on July 20, 1944, at age 31, making the sign of the cross and holding the breviary tightly in his left hand.

On Sat., May 20, 2023, Pope Francis authorized his Beatification Decree:

"It is a very significant event for our community (...). [Fr. Giuseppe Beotti] helps us to understand that only by living with a generosity made true by the Gospel can we take care of one another," said Bishop of Piacenza Bobbio Adriano Cevolotto.