Dylemat moralny w sytuacji ekstremalnej. Analiza decyzji bł. Józefa i Wiktorii Ulmów o udzieleniu schronienia Żydom w czasie II wojny światowej
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

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

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