Obama Awards Catholic Army Chaplain Medal of Honor

Obama Awards Catholic Army Chaplain Medal of Honor

Reverend Emil Kapaun was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama, RNS reports. A candidate for sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, Kapaun was a priest who served as an Army chaplain in the Korean War and was recognized for his bravery on the battlefield and in a prisoner-of-war camp. "Father Kapaun has been called a shepherd in combat boots," Obama said. "His fellow soldiers, who felt his grace and his mervy, called him a saint -- a blessing from God. ... I can't imagine a better example for all of us." Several POWs who survived the camp attended the White House ceremony. Ray Kapaun, Emil Kapuan's nephew, accepted the medal. He said that though he never knew his uncle, stories from the other POWs brought Emil Kapaun to life for him. For Kapaun to reach canonization, the Vatican must find proof of two miracles attributed to Kapaun's intercession.

Obama Awards Catholic Army Chaplain Medal of Honor