www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology What is an apostolic visitator?

I was reading a short biography of Bishop Mykola Charnetskyj (1884-1959), because he is listed in a brief news item: Pope clears way for beatification of 27 Ukrainian martyrs. http://www.catholicnews.com/data/briefs/20010424.htm According to volume I of the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, in 1931 he was appointed apostolic visitator (sic) for Byzantine-rite Catholics in Poland. I'm unfamiliar with this office. Could somebody explain to me what this title means?

[This message has been edited by Piedmont (edited 04-25-2001).]

An apostolic visitator is a bishop or priest delegated by the Pope or Patriarch to provide pastoral guidance to a group of faithful (usually small) with out an established jurisdiction in a given area. He is also to make an assessment of their situation and make recommendations for their pastoral care to the Pope or Patriarch. He has no ordinary jurisdiction over the faithful to which he is assigned, however. I have only seen these appointed for Eastern Catholic Churches. They are usually the first step toward the establishment of an exarchy or eparchy. Currently the Maronites, Armenians, and Chaldeans have apostolic visitators for their faithful in Western Europe. The Belarussian Greek Catholic Church is also headed by one, but this is more for fear of upsetting the Patriarch of Moscow by establishing an eparchy than for lack of numbers.

In Christ,
Lance deacon candidate

Thank you, Lance. Your reply is most helpful. It makes sense in context. In 1925, the Greek Catholic hierarchy in Poland signed a concordat with the Polish government restricting its jurisdiction to eastern Galicia (Halychyna). There were, however, a small number of Orthodox in Volynhia (Volyn) and elsewhere who had accepted papal authority. Their parishes, however, were placed under the jurisdiction of Roman bishops. This upset some Ukrainians. Bishop Charnetskyj's appointment as apostolic visitator represented Rome's attempt to mollify Byzantine Catholics without annoying the Roman hierarchy or the Polish government.

Just two minor corrections to Lance's informative post. Apostolic Visistators are common within the Latin rite and sodmethimes interritual. We currently have a A.V. in the United States for Hungarian-American parishes (Latin & Greek).

An A.V. is from the Pope. If sent by a Patriarch it would be a Patriarchial Visitator.

K.

Dear Friends,

Apostolic Visitators can also sometimes be used by Rome when an Eparchy has incurred Roman wrath (too many married priests from overseas etc.).

Such was the case in Eastern Canada when Bishop Roman Danylak was so appointed.

Bishop Isidore Borecky refused to step down (good for him) and the impasse was finally resolved when a new bishop was appointed Eparch, rather than Apostolic Administrator over such a populous and well-established Eparchy.

Bishop Roman, a very learned and holy man, met with strenuous, general opposition during his brief tenure and that was unfortunate, to say the least.

God bless,

Alex

Dear Friends,

Blessed Nicholas Charnetsky and his successor, Basil Velichkovsky (a direct descendant of St Paisius Velichkovsky) were missionaries in Volyn.

They also represented a truly Byzantinized tradition.

For example, they fostered the cult of all Orthodox Saints in the Orthodox calendar. They publicly warned Eastern Catholics not to "make fun" of Orthodox saints and traditions (may the Lord protect us from such blasphemy!).

As a result of their efforts, two former Orthodox priests and three former Orthodox monks of the Pochayiv Lavra became Eastern Catholics and Martyrs.

Just thought you'd like to know . . .

Alex

Dear Kurt,

Christ is Risen!

I was not aware that there was an Apostolic Visitator for the Hungarian Catholics (Greek and Roman Catholics)? Who is he, where is he?

I was under the impression that the pastoral care of Hungarian Greek Catholics had been entrusted to the Byzantine Catholic Church in America, to the Metropolitans of Pittsburgh, and the other eparchies?

I would be happy to hear more of this.

Thanks,

Elias

Yes, the ordinary for Hungarians in the United States are the Latin bishops if they are Latin and the Ruthenian bishops if they are Greek. Obviously, these bishops rarely speak Hungarian or have any particular pastoral expertize with this community, therefore the A.V.

Let me admit, I may be out of date on this. I know the bishop formerly lived in Washington, and may have even retired or passed away by now.

K.

If I recall correctly from the days when I found the Catholic Directory a publication of interest, I think the above-mentioned bishop was "Apostolic Visitator for Hungarians Outside Hungary." I don't think it distinguished between the Latin and Byzantine Churches, but the established Hungarian Byzantine parishes in the USA were certainly not included in said visitator's ministry.

FWIW, I think Bishop Andrew speaks some Hungarian. Bishop Michael tried it on several occasions (usually with unintentionally humorous or offensive results - ask those who attended the former pilgrimage at the Matawan Basilian monastery!).

Feltamadt Krisztus! Valoban feltamadt!