WICHITA — The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita is preparing to make the case that an Army chaplain from Kansas who died in a North Korean prisoner of war camp deserves to be granted sainthood.
The Wichita Eagle reports that Bishop Carl Kemme is addressing the leadership of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome on Monday. It is the most significant moment yet in the push to have the Rev. Emil Kapaun declared a saint.
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints evaluates evidence in sainthood investigations and makes recommendations to the pope.
Kapaun is a U.S. Army chaplain and priest who grew up on a Marion County farm. Fellow prisoners of war said Kapaun was a source of inspiration and faith during their captivity.
