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St. Clement Hofbauer also revived the faith in Poland through his "perpetual mission" at St. Benno's in Warsaw. This was in the period after the partitions of Poland when the clergy were limited to preaching at their own parish.

John

Pilgrim and Odd Duck

Dear Samer,

Actually, Emperor Saint Constantine XI is a glorified New Martyr in the Orthodox calendar!

I have a picture of a statue of him and he is included in an Icon of the New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke I've seen.

Fr. Serge Keleher told me there would be no problem for Greek Catholics publicly venerating him either, since he was personally in union with Rome.

On the morning of the battle for Constantinople, he received Holy Communion from an Italian Cardinal.

As Fr. Keleher put it, "since the Orthodox were short on Cardinals, this means the Emperor was in union with Rome."

His hagiographic case is therefore a highly interesting one.

But it wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened.

Therefore, my friend, the Orthodox Church has a Byzantine Catholic saint in its calendar who can also be honoured by us and the Roman Catholic Church!

Holy Emperor Saint Constantine the New Martyr and Defender of Constantinople, pray unto God for us!

Alex

[This message has been edited by Orthodox Catholic (edited 04-27-2001).]

Dear John,

Excellent point!

On the subject of the Reformation, it was Jan Hus's followers who came into Poland to initiate their movement there in Cracow.

There is a tradition of Hussitism there and this is one of the reasons why Pope John Paul II has blessed a rehabilitation of Jan Hus with, hopefully, an eventual canonization of this holy Czech Catholic Priest, Spiritual writer and moral reformer.

Alex

Dear Samer,

There is a beautiful Icon of Emperor St. Constantine XI Paleologus at:
http://rumkatkilise.org/constantineXI.htm

It also notes that Byzantine Catholics also highly venerate him!

Alex Romaios

Dear Alex,

You have made me extremely happy by providing me with this link and the information you posted.

At risk of earning a Kha'zoo (spike) up my rear end were the Turks to find out, I shall subscribe to the intriguing legend the site makes mention of. The restoration of the Empire sounds jolly good, wouldn't you think? That's a very good icon; I can't see why the Catholic Church hasn't taken any steps to canonize this holy martyr these last centuries. To use Latin terminology, our prelates are commiting a grave sin of ommission.

If you could make my day complete, I would be very grateful. I requested this before but didn't get an answer. Could you provide me with a source that mentions the Catholic Church's recognition of St. Gregory Palamus' sainthood in the 70's that made him fit for universal veneration? Seeing that piece of news in black and white would be the icing on the cake.

I think it only a wasted effort to ask this of anyone less than the expert of the board in these matters.

In IC XC
Samer

Dear Samer,

You are too kind . . .

There is no need for the RC Church to canonize Emperor St Constantine the New Martyr, only to receive his cult universally which it doesn't need to do.

The Byzantine-Greek Catholics and others already practice this cult away. There are many Saints whose sanctity no one would dispute, but this doesn't mean that we all have to have devotion to them.

He is important to Greeks, Ukrainians, Russians, Armenians and all others who have had occasion to come under the Turkish Yoke. Recently, for example, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Moscow Patriarchate placed St Gregory V in its calendar for devotion in that Church etc.

As for St Gregory Palamas being recognized as a Saint of the Roman Catholic Church, his life is formally included in Catholic Saints Online at:
http://saints.catholic.org/saints/gregorypalamas.html

They have his life and name him as "St Gregory Palamas."

There is no better or more final approval of his cult within Roman Catholicism than that!

Alex