www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Recognition of Saints post-schism

In 1940 Pope Pius XII of blessed memory issued a liturgical calendar for Russian Catholics which included post-'schism' (i.e. post 1054) Russian saints, among them St. Sergius of Radonezh. Does anyone know what other saints had their cult recognized by that calendar?

Find your self a Russian Liturgical Calendar circa 1940 and you will have your answer. My guess would be every saint on the calendar.

Dear Friends,

Christ is Baptized! In the Jordan!

As this is an intensely interesting topic for me, just wanted to offer my two cents' worth.

It was Met. Andrew Sheptytsky who petitioned Rome to recognize all the Russian Orthodox Saints and this petition was granted in 1904. All the Saints of Orthodox Ukraine and Russia were recognized as such for veneration by the Russian Catholic Orthodox especially. Those who were taken out of the calendar at the time were St Athanasius of Brest (for his opposition to the Unia of Brest), St Photios and St Mark of Ephesus.

In actual fact, St Athanasius of Brest enjoyed a cult among Eastern Catholics, Ukrainians and Belarusyans (if that is an acceptable spelling of the latter) as they saw him not as an ardent anti-unionist, but, primarily, as a national hero who stood up to RC Poland. The Polish Jesuits, in fact, came up with the idea of honouring St Josaphat Kuncevyc on September 16th (and I have an old GC prayerbook that lists his feast on that day) to try and dissuade EC's from honouring St Athanasius on Sept. 18th. It was Met. Andrew Sheptytsky who restored the feast of St Josaphat on November 12/25, having understood the reasons behind the change to Sept. 16th.

Even Bl. Basil Velichkovsky, as we can see from his memoirs that the Redemptorists have published, insisted that all local Orthodox saints continued to be honoured when Orthodox parishes came into union with Rome.

In addition, in the 19th century, the Austro-Hungarian Imperial government laid down an edict that ordered the EC Metropolitan of Lviv to expunge a number of Saints and Miraculous icons of the Theotokos from the EC calendar that it considered "too Orthodox" including the Fathers of the Kyivan Caves Lavra (restored formally by Pat. Joseph Slipyj, along with St Gregory Palamas).

There was even a debate within the Ukrainian Catholic Church about why it itself had not canonized St Josaphat Kuncevyc but had left it to Rome to do so - and, in so doing, had given up what a number had said was the right of an EC Church to glorify its own saints without Rome's permission.

Alexander Roman

Would you happen to know where to acquire such a calendar?

Dear St Josaphat,

If you really were St Josaphat, you would know where . . .

Kidding . . .

Russian Catholics very often simply borrow from Russian Orthodox calendars such as the St Herman Orthodox Calendar.

I know Ukrainian Greek-Catholic priests, one of which posts here regularly, who uses the St Herman Calendar.

When I once pointed out to him that there is an entry there that celebrates the return of three million uniates to Orthodoxy, he replied, "Ah, yes, I cross that out each year . . ."

Your servant,

Alex

Dr. Alexander Roman,

Thank you for this information. This is all very fascinating to me.

I ask this not out of doubt or suspicion, but solely out of curiosity; where might I find some of the primary sources for some of the actions on the part of ECs of which you make mention? Especially as concerns Metr. Ven. Andrei Sheptitsky. Where are Bl. Vasyl's memoirs published? As for the Metropolitans ordered by the Austrian imperial government to expunge Orthodox saints & wonderworking icons, what are their known responses?

Thank you so much for the time you have already spent in replying.

God bless

Dearest Sir,

This is a valuable topic to be sure! If I'm not mistaken, Fr. Serge Keleher makes mention of the 1904 Roman decision in one of his publications, but I don't remember which one. I've seen articles in Ukrainian that deal with this, especially those that deal with the foundation of the Russian Catholic Church. I believe that the Young Fogey with the very Wise Perspectives had information on the Russian Catholic Church on his website at one point.

Bl Vasyl's memoirs are published by LOGOS of the Ukrainian Redemptorists and I'm looking at a copy right now on my shelf. It is in Ukrainian though. And if you really were St Josaphat . . .

The Metropolitans who were ordered to expunge the saints and icons complied. This is, I believe, discussed, again in Ukrainian in Fr. Irenaeus Nazarko's excellent book, "Kyivan and Halych Metropolitans."

Your servant,

Alex

There was a thread on this topic before, and Griego Catolico posted the following quotation from the Roman Martyrology:

"In monasterio Sanctissimae Trinitatis in Mosquensi Russiae regione, sancti Sergii de Radonez, qui, primum in silvis asperis eremita, dein vitam coenobiticam coluit et hegumenus electus propagavit, vir mitis, consiliarius principum et consolator fidelium." [Martyrologium Romanum, page 536]

As an Eastern Catholic I venerate many "Orthodox" saints, including, but not limited to, St. Photios, St. Gregory Palamas, St. Sergius of Radonezh, and St. Mark of Ephesus.

If you want to read the previous thread on St. Sergius of Radonezh in its entirety, click the link below:

Sept 25: A Roman Catholic Mass for a Russian Orthodox Saint

At the time of the canonization of St. Josaphat, the Greek-Catholic Church was decidedly unenthused for the project, largely because he was presented as a Polish Saint. It was only several decades later that the revamped Basilians succeeded in promoting his cultus among Ukrainians.

In a potentially interesting ecumenical development, the OCA seems to have received the veneration of St. Josaphat.

Fr. Serge

Bless, Father Sergius!

St Josaphat's Beatification was supported strongly by the Polish king and his officialdom, as we read in the opening pages of the Ukrainian version of the life of St Josaphat published by the Basilians.

The Basilians promoted not only St Josaphat's canonization, but also that of Meletius Smotrytsky, his arch-enemy who later came into Union with Rome and repented of his former antagonism toward St Josaphat (then there was the miracle of his hand refusing to let go of the document of Union as he lay in state etc.) and they also developed an icon that is in the same book. In addition, the group of Basilians that were personally murdered by Peter the Great during the episode of his entering into a Basilian church during the singing of a moleben to Bl. Josaphat - these Basilians also had a local cultus and cause promoted by the Order. All in all, over 40 Basilian martyrs of this period had their Causes promoted but only Josaphat was "cleared" for canonization - perhaps also because he was already beatified.

I would respectfully dispute your contention that St Josaphat was presented as a Polish saint (which he was and he is in the Polish litany of Saints to this day) but as something that kept the Greek Catholics from desiring his canonization.

In fact, Poland appropriated not only Josaphat (who was ultimately Belarusyan and neither Polish nor Ukrainian) but also the icons of Pochaiv, Zhyrovitsi et alia as its own. The Greek-Catholics knew this and didn't like it, but that in no way made them disdain the cult of any of these for that reason.

There were those Greek-Catholics, usually Russophile UGCC clergy, who downplayed the veneration of St Josaphat for reasons that this offended the Orthodox. I will still hear from people in church when the name of St Josaphat is read out comments like: Are we still honouring him?

Alex

I just venerate Christians who seem to be obviously holy, Eastern or Western. For example, even though I am becoming Orthodox, I still hold St. Francis of Assisi in a high degree of esteem.

Post-Schism, there is a Catholic who I think was a saint and whose cause for canonization is being started: John Bradurne. He was a Western version of what the East would call "A Fool for Christ." After World War 2, he wandered Western Europe, the Holy Land and Africa: praying the Rosary and the Jesus Prayer, growing in virtue, and serving the poor. Since he was martyred, God has worked miracles by John Bradburne's intercession. For more information, see

http://www.johnbradburne.com

See also a biography of him by his spiritual director, "Strange Vagabond of God." It is (only) available through that website.

May all the saints of God, Eastern and Western, pray for us all.

-- John

I've read about the Servant of God John Bradbourne and have seen various programs about him on EWTN. He was/is an awesome witness for Christ, even to the shedding of his own blood!

Thanks John, for reminding me of him again.

Since this was brought to my attention, I decided to temporarily come out of exile to address the issue Fr Serge states (see comment in bold letters above).

Since nowhere in the calendar of Saints of the OCA does it mention Josephat as either a saint or to be commeorated, perhaps Fr Serge can expand on the sources or info that will sunstantiate his claim. Especially since my inquiry to the OCA has them as puzzled as I am concerning his claim.

Also, perhaps Fr Serge can also explain his claim that it was the 'Council of Florence' that finalized the 'Great Schism'. Especiall since this council was convened to try and end the schism by reuniting the church.

Now back to exile and an occassion lurk.

OrthoMan

OrthoMan Bob,

Good to hear from you again. I cannot speak to Father claim about St. Josaphat. I have the OCA calendar and can't find him on it.

As to the Council of Florence, the rejection of this Council by the East was Rome's unofficial line from which Orthodox saints could be venerated. So Orthodox saints glorified after 1054 but before the rejection of Florence were okay for veneration, except for St Photios who seems to have been removed. On the otherhand, St. Sergius of Radonezh is officially included in the most recent Roman Martyrology.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I do indeed have an OCA source for my assertion regarding the reception of St. Josaphat; I'm staring at it right this minute. But I'm not about to post the information as to where to find it, because that could easily lead to a decision to remove that source (don't laugh; it happens). All I will tell you is that it is in English and readily available. Cruel of me, I know!

Fr. Serge