Paul Marx (monk)
American activist (1920–2010)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Paul Benno Marx, OSB (May 8, 1920 – March 20, 2010) was an American Roman Catholic priest and Benedictine monk, family sociologist, writer, and one of the leaders of the anti-abortion movements.
Paul Marx | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 8, 1920 |
| Died | March 20, 2010 (aged 89) |
| Occupations | Catholic priest, monk and sociologist |
He was professed[clarification needed] on 11 July 1942 and ordained on June 15, 1947. Marx started the Sociology Department at Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota in 1957 and headed it as a department chair until 1970. Marx was the driving force in creating the local universitarian Human Life Center, furthermore the anti-abortion organizations Human Life International and Population Research Institute.[1]
Family
Né Benno William Marx, he was born in St. Michael, Minnesota as the fifteenth child of devoutly religious parents, George and Elizabeth. He was raised on a dairy farm. There were thirteen girls and four boys (three children died in infancy) in the family.[1][2]
Activism
One of Marx's books, The Death Peddlers: War on the Unborn, belongs to the basic literature of the anti-abortion movement.[3] He was a spiritual mentor for his successor at PRI, Steven W. Mosher.[4]
Marx regularly edited material about natural family planning and led HLI until 1999.[1][2] In 2007, he received HLI's Cardinal von Galen Award.[5] Other recognitions gained by the monk of Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville include the Cardinal John J. O'Connor Pro-Life Award from Legatus (2003), Family Life International's "Faithful for Life Award" (2004) as well as PRI's Founder's Award.[1] Former US President Ronald Reagan once stated in a letter to Marx:
“You can be proud of all you’ve done to summon this nation and others to reflection and positive action on issues affecting the sanctity of human life. God bless you.”[2]
Books
- The life and work of Virgil Michel. Dissertation, Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 1957.
- Virgil Michel And The Liturgical Movement. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 1957.
- The Death Peddlers: War on the Unborn. Front Royal, Virginia: HLI, reprint, 1998, ISBN 978-0814604014.
- Death without dignity: Killing for mercy. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2nd edition, 1978, ISBN 978-0814608692; later in the modified version And Now Euthanasia: HLI, 2nd edition, 1985.
- Confessions of a Profile Missionary: The Journeys of Fr. Paul Marx. Gaithersburg, Maryland: HLI, 1988, ISBN 1559220201.
- Fighting for Life: The Further Journeys of Fr Paul Marx. HLI, 1989, ISBN 978-1559220279.
- The Apostle of Life. HLI, 1990, ISBN 978-1559220293.
- The Flying Monk (Still Fighting for Life). HLI, 1990, ISBN 978-1559220286.
- The Warehouse Priest. HLI, 1993, ISBN 978-1559220316.
- Faithful for Life– autobiography. HLI, 1997, ISBN 978-1559220453.
- The Pro-Life Wisdom of Fr. Paul Marx: The Apostle of Life – a collection of comments. HLI, 2008, ISBN 978-1559220552.
