Casimir was a prince of Poland, living in the 1400s. He was born into royalty and used his position and his money (while still in his teen years) to provide care and help for the poor, and he threw in his lot with those who suffered most in Poland. Butler writes of Casimir: “He felt the afflictions of every one.”

Casimir became popular among the people, and this created a problem, being the third of the King’s children and not next in line to the throne. So the plan for the young prince was to put him in charge of an army, but when non-military solutions presented themselves, Casimir chose to celebrate them, and not to engage in battle and bloodshed that was patently unnecessary. This served to put him at odds with his father (how does it look for a king’s son to choose peace and the poor over riches and military might?), and so Casimir had to take up residence some distance from his father.

So over a span of twelve years, Casimir continued to refuse to turn from the poor, to refuse to turn from peace, to refuse to turn from his faith. Counseled to marry in order to have sex in order to somehow fix him. Casimir remained unwilling, seeing no need to be fixed.

This astounding man tragically contracted tuberculosis, which he took in stride, and died–peaceful in his faith, writes Butler–“being twenty-three years and five months old.”

To think: to have all options available and choosing care for the poor while eschewing killing and sex just for the sake of killing and sex: amazing.