A Catholic woman and her Protestant husband faced opposition to be buried together because of their differing beliefs, but they found a solution through their 19th-century Dutch gravestones.
Colonel Jacobus Warnerus Constantinus van Gorkum of the Dutch Cavalry was laid to rest on the Protestant side of the Roermond Kapel cemetery in Limburg, Netherlands, while his wife, Lady Josephina Carlina Petronela Hubertina van Aefferden, was buried on the Catholic side. The couple, who married in 1842, were reunited in death through two clasped hands on their graves, connecting them across the dividing wall. This touching display caused quite a stir in Roermond according to local accounts.
Location:
Het Oude Kerkhof,
Roermond,
the Netherlands
38 Comments
This is a beautiful gesture and I love that even in death, they still are together.
Closer in death than most in life.
No its not beautiful at all. The silly old woman CHOSE to be buried on the other side.
You should educate yourself before you talk about something you know nothing about. Catholics and Protestants were not allowed to be buried together back then. A simple fact you chose to ignore.
I think the commenter is mentioning how that protestant rebelliously refused to accept the one true religion of Catholicism. Protestants still aren’t allowed to be buried with Catholics.
While this picture seems “cute”, it’s profoundly saddening and a good point to pause and think about why Catholics should not marry protestants. One of the six precepts of the Church is to marry only Catholics.
Yes, because love isn’t love when you are from a different religion. I call BS. I was catholic, and that’s one of the reasons I left the religion and became atheist. A god who claims he is all love but separates his “children” because of different points of view? Where is the perfection in that?? I prefer to follow my own common sense and empathy, flawed as it maybe that to follow a flawed character that isn’t my own… At least now I can say freely it’s my responsibility and be a freaking adult about it…
Bravo
Man separates itself x
Marie, it’s not God/Jesus causing these divisions but Mankind. Mankind has, and always will be, flawed. I know Atheists like to blame everything bad in the world on religion but if you do some research most atrocities in the world (counting the millions upon millions dead) happened under atheism/communism/socialism.
Well spoken.
Yeh PJ you hang onto that shit. Make the world a less tolerant place. Rather have cute than intolerance.
That’s what the muslims say too. Religion sucks, Love reign o’er all!!
Catholics actually should marry Protestants. It gives them a fighting chance to get to heaven.
The Catholic Church relaxed that considerably decades ago. My uncle, who was raised Methodist, married my aunt, a devout Catholic. They were “allowed” to be married in the Catholic church, but only if my uncle agreed, in writing, to allow any children to be raised Catholic. He did, and they were married in the Catholic church by a priest. Which is why my family was raised Methodist, and my 1st cousins raised Catholic!
My Mother was catholic my Dad was Protestant they were married Christmas Day 1947 in Scotland by the priest and we took my Dads religion but my Mum still went to mass every week and they are buried together
beautiful to me.
She could not be buried on the Protestant side.
Wrong…the town and the two religions refused to allow her to be buried by her husband. NOT her fault or choice.
At first glance it’s beautiful but, after thinking a bit, I’ve decided its disgusting. Different religions but they worshipped the same god! Just because he chose to perform his worship the way one guy said, a thousand years previous, and she chose to perform her worship the way some different guy said, is no reason to separate them. I see this picture as a demonstration of bigotry, with this poor woman struggling against it.
Those two guys mentioned above, were human — both far from perfect.
Actually, I disagree. I see this as being a middle finger to a belief system we all still struggle to please. What is refreshing, is to see somebody at that period of time making a pretty bold statement despite the pressures of, and an (UNPROVEN) belief in, disparate religions. Of course, the relationship was a statement in itself for that time. However, this “monument” continues to remind us that we can overcome a prejudice that still pervades.
Her different guy was Jesus Christ The way He said to worship yes he was human but also God made man so who do you want to follow and listen too the human that started protestism or Jesus Christ who stared the Catholic church, the one true faith. over 2,000 yrs ago.
Those coordinates aren’t good enough, I ended up on the Moon
Whatever the religious details are, this is clearly a statement of love. That is surely something anyone’s god can be ok with.
Where is the ‘christianity’ in this?
The ‘Church’ = ‘the political wing’ of ‘religion’
More people,countries,ideas and ‘right thinking’ have been assassinated by this.
These individuals were seperated by religion and the church in life, but in death they rose above those unnatural constraints–something that no church has ever been able to achieve nevermind maintain
Too many churches, officers and dignitaries sucking the christinity out of Christ
Church is not the answer -its not even a good place to start!!
This is around the same time my great-great-grandparents lived. She was Catholic, he was Jewish. Now I know, I must find their graves. I grew up hearing tales of their families disowning them, my parents teaching me how brave they were. Right before they told me to change out of my Catholic school uniform and sent me off to the Rabbi’s house to play with his daughters.
My husbands aunt is catholic buried with her protestant husband in a catholic grave !!!!!!!!
catholicism is predominantly evil
Richard, you’re predominantly an idiot and hate monger…
The beliefs that caused this to be are not Christian. Several of the comments are not either. Jesus taught love and acceptance. ANYONE who believes that God sent his son to die on the cross for our sins is a Christian and should be welcomed by their Christian brothers and sisters regardless of religion. It is also not our place to judge ANYONE … only He is to judge.
It clearly states the wife CHOSE to be buried ‘on the other side of the wall’ as it was the closest she could get to her husband!
Did you people actually read the article in its entirety?
Or, did you simply jump to conclusions?
If your going to be splitting hairs to such an extreme at least use an element of common sense. The article actually states “His wife died in 1888 and had decided NOT TO BE BURIED IN THE FAMILY TOMB but on the other side of the wall, the closest she could get to her husband.” Granted, the wording isn’t great but as the whole article is based on the fact they were not allowed to be buried together due to their religions it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out.
Elizabeth they clearly did not read the article at all.
OK. So reading comprehension is not your thing. The husband died first. He was buried next to the Catholic cemetery. OUTSIDE of it. The wife dies and is buried not with her family, next to the exterior wall! So as to be close to her husband.
Everyone’s focusing on the religious aspect and fail to notice that he wasn’t of nobility and that likely played a major role as well. I’m also seeing a lot of Catholic bashing when the Protestants are just as guilty of doing the same thing back then. You’re far more likely to get a Protestant who preaches fire and brimstone and tell you you’re going to hell because you’re not one of them than you are a Catholic who’ll say something like that. Times have changed but Evangelicals still cling to the past and every word of the Bible is taken literally…. Kind of like Islam only less violent.
Unforgettable -True only
I love that they found away to be together in death, as in life, while simultaneously thumbing their noses at the customs that were designed to keep them apart.
Here’s something to ponder: Jesus was a devout Jew who had exactly zero intention of starting a new religion. His purpose was to reunite the Jews of the day, who had drifted into 3 major groups, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes, as well as a number of smaller factions which included the Apocalyptic Jews, originally led by John the Baptist and adopted by Jesus of Nazareth.
As for the religion named for him, Christianity would be more aptly called Paulianity, as it was he who established the new faith, and oversaw its early growth. Paul didn’t hesitate to lay down the law about “problems” that Jesus never addressed or even mentioned, making this new religion even more clearly a creation that belongs to Paul. After all, Jesus was long gone by the time “Christianity” emerged, leaving Paul free to make whatever rules and pronouncements he saw fit.
Actually the article contradicts itself. It says his wife chose not to be buried in the family tomb it does not say she was not allowed
The coordinates provided are incorrect. The cemetery at that location has the same name but is in Belgium.
The correct location is here: 51°10’53.82″N, 6° 0’2.47″E