Pierre Harmignie

Pierre Harmignie (1885 - August 18th 1944) is a priest and Doyen of Charleroi in Wallonia.

It is indicated in 1938 to exert priesthood in Charleroi, it has the concern of the worship to the restricted direction of an idealistic Christianity, the joy of seeing progressing Charleroi on an human plan, progress which it refuses to allot “to an economic determinism”. He speaks to improve electricity of his church, to widen it. He is delighted by the beauty of the Town hall, of that of Maternity Queen Astrid, finds that newspaper Spirou “is a revolution in the edition”. This man has a vast culture. He taught before with the Institute of higher learning of philosophy to Leuwen. He has a vision in conformity, traditional priesthood, eucharistie, sin, safety. The war will bring it to more and more incarnated Christianity.

Harmignie is inserted each day a little more in resistance, in the carnal reality of the war, energy to fly to Charleroi of the food bags for the Jewish children whom it hides, discussing each night with resistant Communists.

The August 17th 1944, in reprisal of the murder of the burgomaster rexist of Charleroi and its family by the resistant ones to Courcelles, the State major rexist of Brussels engages a wild repression in the area of Charleroi. The fascistic are avenged while going to set fire to houses, to take hostages to massacre them. The Senior will be a prey of choice for them. The culminating point of these criminal actions will be the slaughter of 20 hostages at the dawn of August 18th among which Pierre Harmignies, great Walloon figure, help of the poor and refractories, of the Jews, spiritual leader of the Black Country, apostle of peace and forgiveness, that the rexists wanted to cut down.

Informed little before arrival of the rexists by his vicar, the senior remains and requests, “It is in peace. It forever be also close to God. ” The Nuit of Courcelles will start in a hollow disaster, the feet in 20 cm of water.

Through this man, it is about the evocation of resistance as well religious as laic particularly intense in Wallonia.

See too

External bonds

  • the slaughter of Rognac by the rexists on August 18th, 1944
  • a play devoted to this event
  • another which is focused on the personality of this priest.
  • a photograph of him

Random links:Impossible differential Cryptanalyse | Allondaz | RIA Novosti | The Heart of the warriors | Eastmain (reserved ground cry) | Phare_de_crochet_de_Sandy