www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Heroic virtue recognized for Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky

"On Thursday, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky, who was head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1900 to 1944, and who personally protected dozens of Jews from Nazi occupiers during World War II.

The Pope's July 16 audience with the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints also recognized the heroic virtue of seven other potential saints, who will now be called 'Venerable'..."Click here to read the rest. [ewtnnews.com]

I must apologise as I had understood that this announcement was to be about the Metropolitan's beatification . . .

I thought he already was a Venerable Servant of God.

It's a case involving so many members of his Church and elsewhere already invoking him as "Saint Holy Hierarch Andrew."

Perhaps this is yet another illustration as to the real need for the Particular Eastern Catholic Churches to regain their ancestral right to canonize their own saints for liturgical veneration.

Hmmm?

Alex

You are partly right. There are 4 levels in the canonization process: 1. Servant of God, 2. Venerable, 3.Blesed, 4.Saint.

I see where Alex is going; and has gone. I agree with him. Fr Michael Oleksa, from Alaska, had brought up two or three new Saints, from the Bolshevik era; and has gotten permission from our bishop to add them to the growing icon of American Saints.

I humbly offer a small revision your original text.


{why don't we have an angel emoticon?}

Dear Lester,

How wonderful!!

What are the names of those Saints? Would you care to share?

Alex

Dear Kobzar,

OK, I am well corrected!

The Church of St Nicholas in Toronto has a large panel of the Ven. Andrew Sheptytsky right on the back wall. Our pastor did a great sermon discussing Ven. Andrew's life and urged everyone to pray for his canonization. He also urged everyone to pray the prayers that the Holy Hierarch Andrew composed (found in a number of UGCC prayer books).

It was all very spiritually uplifting and everyone was in a positive mood about the matter. So I will do what my pastor said and we are all energized about the prospect of Met. Andrew possibly becoming a saint soon.

FYI, My great grandfather, Leo, was Metropolitan Andrew's groundskeeper for his summer place in the Carpathians and my grandfather, Fr. John, was ordained by Venerable Andrew. My father attended seminary but then had a talk with the Metropolitan about his vocation. The Metropolitan told him, "You would be a good priest, but I see in your eyes that you want to get married and be a family man . . ."

There are those who knew and are close to Metropolitan Andrey in a way that members of the Congregation of Saints in Rome never can.

May he pray for us all!

Alex

Alex, I think (off the top of my head) they were Metropolitn Leonty(?) and Fr Seraphim (who was murdered by the Soviets, upon return to Russia).

Ah, very good sir!

As always, I envy the greater freedom of the Orthodox Churches in this (and other) regards!

Alex

Having considered this matter closely, I just wanted to say how much Brother Marduk's earlier commentary on saints have altered my understanding of the declaration of "Venerable" for Met. Andrey.

There can be no doubt but that the UGCC (and Russian Catholics of both rites as well as others) already regard Met. Andrey as a saint.

At the same time, the Holy Father's declaration of him as "Venerable" (thus re-activating his Cause in a timely way) is something that is most beneficial to the entire, world-wide Church and the world. The Roman canonization process will make the Holy Hierarch Andrew better known and also more widely honoured by many outside the EC orbit.

And that is a very good thing!

Alex