During the military tribute, we have made it a habit to speak in unison about Father JOËSSEL, distinguishing between the priest and the officer who died for France.

These brief presentations are designed simply to highlight a few aspects of this outstanding man's personality, to inspire you to learn more about him, and perhaps even to join the Association of Friends of Father JOËSSEL, whose primary goal is to work toward his canonization.

In a few minutes, I will hand the word over to Father FARWERCK, who will speak to us about his ancestor, the priest he was, and the charisma he possessed, especially among young people.

Mais avant cela, nous allons dire quelques mots du militaire, parce que si l’abbé JOËSSEL était prêtre, il était aussi officier.

Today, there are more than a hundred priests among active-duty French military personnel. All of them are chaplains.

Chaplains are not considered combatants under the laws of war; in theory, at least, they are entitled to special protection, much like military doctors, for example. In short, they are not “legitimate targets,” which means they must not be shot at.

Currently, not all military chaplains are priests, since this role can be filled by deacons and even laypeople; however, all military priests are chaplains.

That was not the case during World War II. There were indeed military chaplains, but they were recruited from among those who were exempt from military service or had been discharged.

Young men in their prime, as was the case with Father JOËSSEL in 1939, were likely to be drafted into military service.

By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, priests and seminarians had gradually lost the exemptions they had previously enjoyed, which had exempted them from bearing arms in the event of a conflict.

When general mobilization was declared on September 1, 1939, Father JOËSSEL, who had served in the military as a reserve officer, was ordered to report for duty with the 30th Motorized Divisional Artillery Regiment.

He was assigned to the 7th Battery of that regiment as a lieutenant and found himself, like all priests in his situation, in uniform, with the duty to bear arms and, if necessary, to violate the Fifth Commandment... He had become a soldier, like all the men of his generation.

​

This situation, common to all clergy, was of particular concern to the Holy Father, who issued an apostolic exhortation to priests and clerics called to serve in the armed forces. In this text, Pius XII proposed some guidelines. He noted in particular that while priests in uniform had changed their clothing, their priestly spirit must not change.

He noted that these priests would come into contact with men of every educational background, moral character, and cultural background, many of whom were far from God, and he urged them to be “the living apostolate of Jesus Christ in action [...] through the most irreproachable conduct.”

​

Lieutenant JOËSSEL, a priest, did his utmost to put this apostolic exhortation into practice as best he could.

François VEUILLOT, in the biography he wrote about him, reports, and I quote: “In the military environment, he strove to create a religious atmosphere. He wanted to re-energize and uplift the elite through prayer vigils, retreats, and small study groups"...

We also have accounts—compiled more recently by Father FARWERCK—that describe some of the masses celebrated by Father JOËSSEL, particularly at Christmas 1939, in a barn made available by its owners for the occasion.

Although he was a lieutenant, Father JOËSSEL never ceased to be a priest.

I will now let Father FARWERCK take the floor so that he may share with us the accounts he has gathered about his ancestor, and tell us about the priest he was before or during the conflict, as he sees fit.”

​​