www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Bishop Daniel Ivancho

Can anybody tell me the history of Bishop Daniel Ivancho? All I know is that at the age of 38, he was elected Coadjutor Bishop of the USA, for the Faithful of the Oriental Church(Ruth)in 1946. He became the Eparch in 1948, resigned in 1954, and died in 1972 at the age of 64. Did he resign the priesthood and live the rest of his life in the secular world? I'm just trying to understand why he resigned at such a young age.

As far as I know, Bishop Daniel resigned and got married and lived in retirement.

Dave

Are there any photos of his consecration?

Vl. Daniel was well thought of by the clergy of the Pittsburgh Exarchate. Most of those priests are deceased but a few are still living as retired priests now. My pastor used to speak of Vl. Daniel often saying he really was a good bishop. We used to have a photo of him dressed in his episcopal vestments hanging in our sacristy. There are probably a few photos of his consecration in the library of SS. Cyrill and Methodius Seminary in Pittsburgh. It is a shame how his religous life ended. We all have to deal with obstacles in our journey to follow Christ.
When he died, I do believe his body was buried in a Roman Cathoilc cemetery somewhere in Florida. May we all pray that God grant him a peaceful repose, vichnaja pamjat'.

Ung-Certez

I never knew anything about Vl Daniel, saw his name always mentioned as a Eparch. Just assuming he either died young, or was assigned somewhere outside the US & Canada. Then I was doing a search on Catholic-Hierarchy, and saw he was given the same Titular See as the late James Patrick Shannon, former Aux. Bishop of the Archdiocese of St.Paul/Minneapolis & onetime President of the the College of St. Thomas.
I just find it very unusual for Bishops to leave the priesthood without major scandel, so I researched some things about Bishop Shannon.
Bishop Shannon resigned the Priesthood in the late 60's, due to a diferrence with Pope Paul VI over Birth control and an ongoing disagreement with the Cardinal Archbishop of Los Angeles. Many claim that he was destined to be either the Archbishop of St. Paul or Chicago He later married, served as a College Dean in the Southwest. He became an attorney and headed General Mills Foundation until retirement and entering enteral rest earlier this year.

Pope Paul VI did not make up the teaching against contraception, and it was not merely his personal opinion.

If the cleric in question had a "difference" with the Pope about this, it means that he had a difference with God about it.

Sorry to come in like that, Byz Learner, but just wanted to clarify. We are not free to have "differences" with the moral teaching of the Church.

God bless.

Ltrad

LatinTrad,
I am sorry to come in like this, but I believe you are incorrect.

We can so have differences with the moral teachings of the Church, we can have differences with any teachings of the Church.

We can do this as long as we are obedient to the Church and what it teaches.

WE do not have to agree as long as we are obedient and do not lead others astray. We are called to form our conscience correctly.

When I entered fully into communion with the Catholic Church I did not fully accept the teaching on contraception, but I was obedient to the Church. Now after time, I have come to fully accept it.


David, the Byzantine Catholic

I should have been more clear how I discribed the departure issues. I knew it not the pure opinion of Paul VI. But took the information paraphasing from Archdiocese research materials and Shannon's own autobio.

Thanks BL!

In discussing this issue with a priest of our Metropolia I was informed that he married while still a bishop, and resigned after that. But he was always listed as a retired bishop by the Annuario Pontifico (sp). So was he laicized or not?

anastasios

Bishop Daniel Ivancho was never formally laicized, but ceased functioning as a bishop upon his sudden departure from Pittsburgh (which was precipitated upon the discovery that he was living in a marital relationship). There were persistent reports, including reports from people who claimed to have been present, that Bishop Daniel maintained a private chapel and served for his family and the occasional straggler who might wander in. Over the years, approaches were made to him by various groups, but he had no interest in lending himself to any campaign against the Pittsburgh Exarchate.
Photographs of the consecration - there were certainly some published at the time. There was a sensation, because Empress Zita of Austria-Hungary, in view of her privileges as the "Apostolic Queen", was seated, in full regalia, within the sanctuary. Msgr. John Kallok (memory eternal) showed me the photograph and explained that the real reason for her involvement was that she had obtained Bishop Daniel's appointment. Incognitus

Like some other bishops, Vl. Daniel was born in Maramaros County, which is the eastern tip of Transcarpathia. His family village was Jasinja. The Blessed Theorode Romzha was born in Velykyj Bychkiv, Maramaros County. Bishop Vasil Takach was born in Vuchkove, Maramaros County. Bishop- Confessor Aleksander Chira was also born in Maramaros County, in the village of Vil'chivci.
I have thought this was quite the coincidence they were all born in Maramaros County!

Ung-Certez

this is a nit-picking point, but Bishop Daniel was never an Eparch. He was first Coadjutor to Bishop Basil Takach (who was also not an Eparch - he was Apostolic Exarch) and then, on Bishop Takach's death, Bishop Daniel became Apostolic Exarch. It would be about ten years later that the Exarchate became the two eparchies of Pittsburgh and Passaic.
Of somewhat greater interest: when Emil Mihalik was ordained Bishop of Parma, rather to his surprise he received a package - a gift from Bishop Daniel Ivancho, which turned out to be Bishop Daniel's own pectoral cross. the formal portrait-photograph of Bishop Emil shows him wearing that cross. This, of course, was a relic of the days when the Ruthenian bishops did not yet make use of the engolpia or panagia.
Pity that Bishop Daniel did not leave his memoirs. Or perhaps it's just as well. Incognitus

Any of these photos published for public consumption? When did the protocol for picking archbishops change?

As I sais, some of these pictures were certainly published for public consumption at the time. One would have to check the back numbers of the Pittsburgh Press and the Catholic newspapers of the period. I don't know who ended up with Msgr John Kallok's collection of memorabilia, but the picture was unforgettable. Daniel Ivancho was never an Archbishop, incidentally.
What stunned me was the thought that 20 years after the Hapsburgs had fallen, the "Apostolic Queen" still had enough clout in Rome to promote the candidacy of the priest of her choice to become a bishop in the USA, and was able to make use of her Apostolic-Queenly privilege to appear in such a custom and be seated inside the sanctuary in a church in Pittsburgh. Perhaps Budapest is closer to Pittsburgh than I had previously understood to be the case. Zita lived to a great age, dying in the late 1980's and is buried next to her husband, the Emperor Charles, in the Imperial crypt in Vienna. Incognitus