Moral Dilemma in Extreme Situation. An Analysis of the Decision by the Blessed Józef and Wiktoria Ulma to Give Shelter to Jews During World War II

Abstract

Recently, a particularly significant — both for the Church and for our Homeland — has been the beatification of Józef and Wiktoria Ulma together with their children. The Blessed couple, motivated by their faith and the evangelical ideal of love for one’s neighbour, gave shelter to eight Jews and kept them under their roof even though they realized the risk they were taking and the possible consequences. On finding it out, German occupation authorities had them shot together with their children and the Jews on 24 March 1944. Although their attitude is universally acknowledged to be heroic and praiseworthy and its rightness has been confirmed by the Church through the Act of Beatification, occasionally opinions are voiced suggesting that the decision was irresponsible and that it exposed their family to danger. This article presents an analysis of the decision by the Blessed Józef and Wiktoria Ulma from the moral theology perspective and is aimed at clarifying the controversy. By placing the core of the problem of whether “to protect one’s own family or rescue others” not on the axis of the conflict between moral duty and a facultative action, but in the area of the dilemma between two duties (the Ulmas’ deeply interiorized evangelical ideal of love for one’s neighbour was for them a moral duty as well), the present study justifies their effort to simultaneously fulfil two moral challenges, arduous but likely to be reconciled and fulfilled. Facing this challenge is testimony to the enormity of their humanity and the heroism of their faith.