Throughout his life the protective mantle of Mary shielded Emperor Karl, which can be seen in the major events of his life: “November 19th (his arrival on Madeira) was a Saturday. Many of the most important days in the life of the Emperor occurred on Saturdays. He was confirmed on a Saturday, reached his majority and married on Saturdays, and was crowned King of Hungary on a Saturday. It was on a Saturday that the King returned home to Hungary in his first attempt to restore the monarchy, and a Saturday after the second Hungarian restoration attempt had failed that he refused, with dire consequences, to give up all claims to the throne. It was a fateful Saturday when the family moved to the foggy atmosphere of the Monte, and the final day of the Emperor’s life, April 1, 1922-when God called His faithful servant home-was a Saturday.”

With the rosary in his hand, Emperor Karl spiritually fought the battles of his life. It is exemplary that he faithfully prayed the rosary daily. The beads of the rosary which he received from Pope Saint Pius X, would slide through his fingers as he prayed the familiar prayers. Government business might be urgently demanding his attention, yet the Emperor still made time so that he would have a half-hour to himself to pray a rosary.

As a faithful son of Mary he honored his heavenly Mother through imitation. Modesty, humility, and an open, friendly, and engaging nature were some of the virtues he fostered within himself. Consideration of God’s Will, devotion to a deep prayer life, and Marian devotions were fundamental principles in his life. As a loving monarch and father he allowed his heart to be pierced by a sword of sorrow, just as the Blessed Mother’s heart was pierced standing under the cross of her Son.

Prayer:
My Lord and God, I thank You for the maternal care of Mary in the life of Emperor Karl. Help me, that I may faithfully and devoutly follow his example and pray the rosary daily. Hear my petitions and grant my request (mention your intention here) through the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Amen.

Emperor Karl sought the Will of God in everything he  did. For him it was the most important principle of his life and all of his actions. Eyewitnesses also tell of his love of chastity, and his absolute refusal to tolerate indecent language in his presence. 

The phrase “Thy Will be done!” was.a guiding tenet in the life of Blessed Karl, and one he repeated shortly before he placed his soul into the hands of his Creator. With Christ, Emperor Karl could say, “My food is to do the Will of Him who has sent Me.” His commission to lead his people made him a regent of God and, as such, this noble monarch subordinated himself to Divine Will and gave himself in humble service. He was prepared for heaven, and it is for this reason that the Lord could call Emperor Karl to Himself.

Others always came first for him; he always placed himself last. In this sense, Emperor Karl is a good example of a man devoted to Mary, who gave her “Fiat;’ and said, “Let it be done unto me according to Your Word!” His pure soul mirrored the “Fiat” of the Mother of God.

Even during his final illness and a feverish delirium he thought only of fulfilling his obligations: “Now [he worried] about Viennese children for whom he was trying to get milk, then he worried about a Czech soldier in a military hospital who was parched with thirst. And he was always worried about the neglected evacuation of Transylvania before the Rumanian invasion, a subject which had been the cause of many violent battles of words between him and Count Tisza.”

Emperor Karl followed the example of his Lord and Savior, who suffered alone at the Mount of Olives, and amidst his greatest trials drank with Christ from the cup of suffering. He accepted the Will of his Father in the midst of his greatest afflictions-all of which exceeded normal standards-yet through it all, Blessed Karl could still say, “I am grateful to our loving God for all that He sends.”

Prayer:
My Lord and God, I thank You for the “Fiat” of Emperor Karl in all his life’s situations. Help me to recognize Your Will in my life and to follow it. Hear my petitions and grant my request (mention your intention here) through the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Amen.

Eyewitnesses praise Blessed Karl’s profound sense of duty. He understood the obligation of emperor given to him as a sacred trust, and saw himself as a father to his peoples. In a conversation with Count Polzer-Hoditz on April 28, 1917, the Emperor said, “It comes down, however, to simply help as much as one can help. As Emperor I must set a good example. If everyone would only practice his Christian duty, there would not be so much hate and misery in the world.” His love for neighbor was exemplary. To ease the suffering of his war-weary peoples, Emperor Karl ordered that the palace horses and wagons be put into service to deliver coal to the Viennese population, donated much of his private fortune to the poor, and even gave away clothes from his own closet to the needy. 

Emperor Karl had the innermost conviction that God had entrusted the crown to him. Because of this certitude, the royal coronation in Hungary had great meaning for him. Fifty years after the event, Empress Zita spoke about the coronation: “The thing that impressed both of us most about the whole ceremony was the moving liturgical side of it all­ – especially the oaths that the King took at the altar before his anointing to preserve justice for all and strive for peace. This sacred pledge given in the cathedral was exactly the political programme he wanted to carry out from the throne. We both felt this so strongly that hardly any words were necessary between us” (Excerpt from: Gordon Brook-Shepherd: The Last Habsburg, Weybright and Talley, New York, 1968).

The coronation rite itself is described by Dr. Maria Holbacher: “Through the sacred rite, which is liturgically administered ‘through the Grace of God’ as a sacramental, he becomes sovereign and imbued with Divine Grace for the specific station of his high calling, in order that he might govern the peoples entrusted to him in peace and prosperity for their salvation. The ceremony of the coronation takes place before the offertory of the Holy Mass, and is similar to solemn professions, the ordination of priests, the blessing of abbots and the consecration of bishops, in that the candidate lies face-down on the floor before the altar while the litany of the saints is prayed. The Primate of Hungary, the Archbishop of Esztergom, confers the coronation-rite and celebrates the Mass. After a long prayer, the coronation-candidate, who stands throughout, is anointed with sacred chrism and invested with the royal regalia and insignia while his sacred obligations are cited individually. This is so the candidate clearly understands that the standards and expectations of ethical obligations and moral actions are so high that human power alone cannot accomplish them without the help of God.”

Fr. Maurus Carnot, O.S.B., who pastorally cared for Emperor Karl while he was in exile in Switzerland, heard him emphatically state, “But I will never renounce my coronation oath. The crown of Saint Stephen is sacred to me. You can take my life, but never, never, never can you take away my oath and sacred crown.”

Empress Zita followed the example of her husband throughout her life, and was steadfast in her refusal to abdicate.

Prayer:
My Lord and God, I thank You for Emperor Karl’s fidelity to his vocation. Help me, that I too may faithfully fulfill my responsibilities. Hear my petitions and grant my request (mention your intention here) through the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Amen.

The following is an account of the family’s reunion: “On February 2, [Emperor Karl] met Empress Zita and the children – Archduke Robert excluded (because he was recovering from appendicitis)- to accompany them and Archduchess Maria Theresa into Funchal. Emperor Karl stood on the pier. The joy of the children was indescribable when they greeted him with exuberant embraces when he boarded the ship. Tears ran down the Emperor’s cheeks as he carried the little Archduke Rudolf in his arms down the gangway. The attendants who had come with the children were startled to see how tired and aged their sovereign had become. But it was impossible to see any sign of bitterness in his face, or hear him say anything uncharitable.”

During his final illness, the Emperor received considerable pleasure when he could hear from his sickbed the voices of his children through the window, and if they could hear him when he called out to them.

Throughout his fatal illness he was considerate and concerned for the well-being of others because of the danger of infection, and for his children because of the possible trauma of seeing him so ill. Of all the children, only Otto, as his heir, was called to his deathbed because he wanted to give the young archduke the example of how a monarch and Catholic faces death. As Otto sobbed loudly seeing his father struggling with death, he received comfort from his mother. The Emperor wanted to save the rest of the children from contagion and trauma.

One of the last prayers the Emperor uttered shortly before he died was for all of his children, whom he mentioned by name, placing them under the special protection of the Lord. Archduchess Maria Theresa overheard the Emperor praying for the children. She gives the following account: “‘Dearest Savior protect our children, Otto, Madi, Robert, Felix, Karl Ludwig. Who comes next?’ The Empress helped him, ‘Rudolf,’ and he continued, ‘Rudolf, Lotti, and, especially, our newest little one ( the Empress was pregnant with Elisabeth, who was born after the Emperor’s death). Preserve them in body and soul, and let them die rather than commit a mortal sin, Amen! Thy will be done. Amen.'”

Prayer:
My Lord and God, I thank You that Blessed Emperor Karl loved his family and entrusted them to Your Will and Divine Plan, which he loved so very much. Hear my petition (mention your petition here) through the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Amen.

Throughout his life he continually, and in exemplary ways, pardoned others. Emperor Karl suffered greatly throughout his life from lies, slander, and many hardships. Yet, the ultimate example of his pardoning others were the words he uttered on his deathbed, “I forgive all my enemies, all who have slandered me, and all who have worked against me.”

On the other hand, Blessed Karl felt completely responsible for the welfare of his subordinates. His demeanor of pure charity in association with his deep faith formed the great mainspring of his persistent striving for peace. In 1916, as Heir-Apparent, he already considered his chief goal to be the attainment of a quick and honorable end to the war; from the very first day of ascending to the throne he started to put all of his efforts towards this goal: to protect the peoples of his empire from further sacrifices, and to rule as a peace emperor over a rejuvenated Austria.”

It is hard to believe that a man with such virtues and noble character could be so bitterly opposed and slandered in order that his reputation might be destroyed. Not only did the Emperor suffer from the confiscation of his personal property, but his good name was destroyed by lies and falsehoods.

Sacred Scripture teaches that the standard of holiness can be measured by one’s capacity to love your enemy. In light of this criterion, we can grant that Blessed Karl had a high degree of virtue.

Prayer:
My Lord and God, You teach us in the “Our Father,” to forgive the sins of others, so that our sins may be forgiven. Help me to imitate the example of Emperor Karl so that I might forgive all injustices done against me. Hear my petition and grant my request (mention your intention here) through the intercession of Blessed Emperor Karl of Austria. Amen.