[1][2][3] His outreach also extended to abuse victims with a particular emphasis on the protection of women - it would be this latter commitment that saw him sustain fatal injuries leading to his death.

[3] Apor dedicated himself to being an opponent of both communism and Nazism and used his sermons as a platform to condemn them though coming at a great personal risk to himself.

He decided to begin his studies for the priesthood despite his mother's wish that he wait a little while longer - she consented at Christmas in 1909 - and the local bishop was delighted to receive him in 1910 despite the fact that Apor was not there for long.

On 27 March 1916, he opened an office for the protection of women that became a predominant focus for him on his pastoral mission while on 4 January 1917 he was sent as a chaplain to the Italian front before being transferred as such to Austria and then back to Gyula at the start of 1919 at the end of the war.

On 25 February 1941 - in a unanimous decision - the town council of Gyula made him an honorary citizen due to his commitment to its people and his strong and tireless activism.

He also appealed to the Gestapo headquarters in Berlin in an attempt to free the Jews of his diocese from the ghetto and negotiated with the Nazi command to spare the town from a siege.

[4] He provided supplies to those Jews being deported through his diocese and also sheltered those made homeless after air raids in the episcopal palace while he himself withdrew to a small room for himself.

Several drunken Soviet soldiers arrived with the intention of bringing 100 women to their barracks, but Apor had them well-hidden in the cellar.

The bishop, too, was hit by three bullets; one lightly grazed his forehead, the second passed through the right sleeve of his cassock, and the third, the most dangerous one, penetrated his abdomen.

[2] Professors Jung and Petz - who had known Apor - performed the operation which seemed to be successful and saw a slight improvement on Holy Saturday when he received the Eucharist with his sister at his side.

[4] On Easter his condition deteriorated because an infection had set in; he made his confession and was given the Anointing of the Sick but pain increased.

John Paul II confirmed on 7 July 1997 that Apor was killed "in odium fidei" (in hatred of the faith) and thus approved his beatification.