Start of Titus Brandsma's foundation day speech on the concept of God, delivered in 1932 at the Catholic University of Nijmegen:
'Of the many questions I ask myself none preoccupies me as much as the conundrum that so many evolving human beings, proud and confident of their progress, are turning their backs on God. It is disturbing that in an age of such remarkable progress in all sorts of fields we should be faced with denial and belittlement of God like a rampant infectious disease. How has the image of God become so eclipsed that so many are no longer moved by it? Does the fault lie only with them? Or is something required of us to make it shine on the world once more in all its radiance, and dare we hope that study of the God concept will at least alleviate this greatest of all needs?'
His life
1881 23 February Anno Sjoerd Titus Brandsma born in the village of Oegeklooster near Bolsward in Friesland.
1898 17 September starts his novitiate with the Carmelite fathers at Boxmeer: monastic name Titus.
1900 Studies philosophy and theology
1905 17 June ordained in Den Bosch cathedral
• Studies in Rome (philosophy and sociology)
1909-1923 Lecturer of philosophy at the Carmelite seminary in Oss.
1923 Professor at the newly established Catholic University of Nijmegen (philosophy and history of devotion, especially Dutch mysticism)
• Appointed spiritual advisor to the RC Journalists' Association by the archbishop of Utrecht
• Lectures on worrying aspects of the National Socialist worldview
• 30 December discussion with Mgr. Dr J. de Jong, archbishop of Utrecht, on the situation of the Catholic press. Then goes on a tour to visit directors and chief editors of Catholic newspapers
• Early January press report: ' Der Pater Titus Brandsma ist wegen planmassiger Vorbereitung einer gegen die deutschen Besatzungsbehörden gerichteten oppositionellen Bewegung umgehend zu verhaften und einem Konzentrationslager zuzuführen .'
19 January arrest in Nijmegen and incarceration in Arnhem prison; transferred to Scheveningen prison and tried in The Hague on 20 and 21 January
20 January - 12 March kept in a cell in Scheveningen
12 March - 28 April kept in the Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Amersfoort
Good Friday (3 April) conference for fellow prisoners on Geert Groote and the meaning of Christ's suffering and ours
28 April - 16 May imprisoned in Scheveningen
16 May - 13 June imprisoned in Kleve; judge pronounces: 'He thinks he has to take Christianity under his wing to protect it against National Socialism.'
13 June transported to Dachau concentration camp, arriving 19 June
26 July died 14h00, having been unconscious for several days
1985 3 November beatified by pope John Paul II in Rome.
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Photo of Titus Brandsma in 1932 as rector magnificus |
At the statue of Titus Brandsma
At the unveiling of Titus Brandsma's statue its sculptor, G.L. Mathot, Redemptorist, made the following speech:
'If I am to guide your eyes when looking at the bronze statue of father Titus Brandsma, I would mention two contradictions that had to be harmonised.
The first contradiction is geometrical. The statue had to be located in the vicinity of the faculty of philosophy, where he was a professor; and in the vicinity of the 'communication media' that concerned him increasingly in the days of Nazism, war and occupation. Thomas Aquinas Street qualified on both scores, and more particularly a certain wall in that street. But the wall stood at an angle of 45 degrees to the direction of the street. The statue of this 'compliant' man had to be parallel to the flow of the traffic, not against or even deviating from it. That made for conflict. If you visualise the figure there, facing in the direction of the street, there is hardly any space against the wall for the right-hand side of the statue, while there is ample space on the left-hand side. But that made it possible to have an interplay of virtually no relief and altogether freestanding parts. Freestanding are, firstly, the head and the foot stepping forward, and actually the hands as well; but the left hand is laden with two gowns and ample folds. The interplay had to form a tranquil whole with a clear outline and - most importantly - meaningful accentuation of the one and understatement of the other.
A second contradiction that had to be resolved was less material, actually concerning the person of the 'father professor'. Typical of this contradiction is the title of the address: 'More than a professor'. Yet his professorship is the reason why his statue is wanted on this site. I have tried to show that in his heart of hearts this professor was primarily a fellow human and Christian. I indicated this by playing with the two gowns. His academic gown of braided velvet and silk is draped over his left arm (which also attaches the side of the statue to the street wall). His plain Carmelite habit, on the other hand, is what he is wearing.
But above all I sought to depict in his posture and facial expression the man that he was, approachable and helpful, yet creating an impression of introversion into study and prayer. This synchronicity of both aspects indeed characterise his entire life, right up to imprisonment, illness and death.
What appear at first glance to be contradictions that had to be reconciled may continue to intrigue as an inner tension.'
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Statue of Titus Brandsma on the campus of the Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. The statue was made by G.L. Mathot C.ss.R. |
