Search | Back   Rev. Paul (Benno) Marx, O.S.B.   May 8, 1920 - March 20, 2010     Dates |  Articles & Docs |  Ordos |  Photos |  Notes |  Obituary |  Names     Rev. Paul (Benno) Marx     Miscellaneous Notes   In 1980 the authorities at St. John's Abbey and St. John's University, by underhanded means, forced Father Marx to leave Collegeville and his Human Life Center and carry on his pro-life work elsewhere. The full story of this persecution is told in this book. Benedictines at St. John's, including Father Marx's own brother, Father Michael Marx, OSB, signed a statement contradicting Humanae vitae, Pope Paul IV's official teaching concerning contraception, and the faculty at St. John's University overwhelmingly refused to endorse a statement opposing abortion. Father Marx then went to Washington, with little but an automobile, and started Human Life International, which today is by far the largest pro-life institution in the world. In the same year Pope John Paul II told him: "You are doing the most important work on earth." - "Faithful for Life" He attended The Catholic University of America in 1952 and received a master's degree in sociology in 1954 and a PhD in 1957. Father Paul's doctoral thesis was on The Life and Work of Virgil Michel, OSB, the Saint John's monk who was a founder of the liturgical movement in the United States. As a teacher of sociology he emphasized the family and became passionately interested in responsible family planning. Father Paul founded the Sociology Department at Saint John's University in 1957 and was department chair until 1970. He developed and founded the Human Life Center at Saint John's from 1972 to 1980, and was the founder and senior editor of Review of Natural Family Planning. In 1981 Father Paul founded the Human Life International in Washington, D.C., and served as its leader until 1999. He became the "Apostle for Life" as he was known in the pro-life movement. He also founded the Population Research Institute (1989). In a papal audience in 1979, Pope John Paul II told Paul Marx: "You are doing the most important work on earth." Planned Parenthood labeled him as "Public Enemy #1." (2010)     Dates   Born: May 8, 1920 Birth Place: St. Michael, MN   Professed: July 11, 1942 (22.17 years old) Ordained: June 15, 1947 (27.10 years old) Died: March 20, 2010 (89.86 years old)     Ordo Information   First Year Listed in Ordo at St. John's: 1950 Last Year Listed in Ordo at St. John's: 2010 Listed in 61 Ordos Missing Years Ordos: 0     Names   Possible names for Rev. Paul (Benno) Marx, O.S.B.:   Rev. Paulus Marx, Fr. Paulus Marx, Father Paulus Marx Rev. Paulus Marx, Fr. Paul Marx, Father Paul Marx Rev. Paulus Marx, Fr. Benno Marx, Father Benno Marx     Pictures of Rev. Paul (Benno) Marx, O.S.B.:            This web site is provided solely for educational purposes. Every effort has been made to verify the information posted on this web site. However, no claim is made regarding the accuracy of the information posted herein. Sources include: Benedictine Ordo (1970-2010) Public Records; Other; Court Documents; Newspaper, Television and other Media; Victim Interviews.