Archbishop Hans Grapje was raised in a Catholic school
in the Hague. As a young man, he aspired to become a
priest, but was drafted into the army during WWII. He spent
two years flying aboard B17s as a co-pilot until, in 1943,
his aircraft was shot down and he lost his left arm.
Still enscripted, Hans spent the remainder of the war as
a chaplain, giving spiritual advice and last rights to dying
soldiers, allied and enemy. He was renowned for his
ecumenical tenderness and compassion.
After the war, Grapje became a priest and served as a
missionary throughout Africa. In spite of his handicap,
he was noted for piloting his own bush plane into the
deepest, most primitive villages to spread the church's
message and charity to the impoverished.
In 1997, then Archbishop Grapje was serving at an outpost
in Zimbabwe, when an explosion in one of the country's
vast silver mines caused a catastrophic cave-in. The
archbishop, in spite of his seniority, went down into
several of the shafts to administer last rights to those
who would never escape. He was in one of these shafts
when it partially caved in, trapping him and several rescuers.
Although he was rescued three days later, he suffered
several painful injuries, including one that cost him his
right eye. Additionally, the silver content in the shaft's air
supply had poisoned him, causing his skin to take an
indigo hue - a condition known as conjunctiva - that
persists to this day.
Although the Cardinal has devoted, and indeed risked, his
life in the service of God for nearly 70 years, as a scholar,
a mentor, and the epitome of a holy man, church politics
preclude his ascension to the Papacy.
Church leaders have made it clear they didn't want
a one-eyed, one armed, flying, purple, Papal leader.
