'in hatred of the faith') and Unzeitig was subsequently beatified on 24 September 2016 in a ceremony presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato acting on the pope's behalf.

At the age of 18 he commenced his studies for the priesthood and also entered his novitiate with the Mariannhill Missionaries in Reimlingen; this was in contrast to his earlier intention to become part of the missions.

[2][3] The Gestapo arrested Unzeitig on 21 April 1941 for defending Jews in his sermons[4] and sent him to the Dachau concentration camp without a trial on 8 June 1941.

The Positio on his life and virtue was submitted to Rome for further investigation in 2005 and allowed for Pope Benedict XVI to proclaim him to be Venerable on 3 July 2009.

The next step would have meant the recognition of a miracle for beatification and indeed a process for one such healing was initiated and validated on 2 June 2007; a medical board based in Rome even approved it on 25 March 2010.