www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Does anyone know of more causes being promoted in the Byzantine Catholic Churches?

Are any causes for beatification for Byzantine Catholics being promoted? I know the Pope beatified some 28 Byzantine Catholics from Ukraine, Russia and Ruthenia, but are there more impending? I was surprised Metropolitan Andrew and Patriarch Joseph weren't among the group beatified in 2001. What about Armenian Catholics? I know many Armenian Catholics and Orthodox were martyred for their faith throughout the early 20th century. Are any of them up for beatification? Thanks!

In Christ,
Anthony

Anthony,

Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich was on the road towards beatification some time ago - I am not aware of her status at this point.

Sister Miriam Teresa was canonically Byzantine, but entered a Latin Congregation, so I dunno how you would classify her. It's not like there were scads of Byzantine Orders in the US just then, LOL.

I count her as a saint - and figure that Rome will finish the paperwork eventually.

Sharon

The cause for canonization of the Bishop-Confessor Vasyl' Hopko, auxiliary bishop of Presov and rightful successor of Blessed Bishop-Confessor Pavel Gojdich, is progressing. Vladyka Vasyl' was to be beatified in 2001 along with Blessed Pavel, but unfortunately this action was delayed. It is expected that this beatification will imminently take place, but nationalistic politics may again derail it.

http://www.carpatho-rusyn.org/spirit/hopko.htm

Lemko,

What's the difference between a bishop and a bishop-confessor?

ChristTeen287

I believe that Father Walter J. Ciszek, S.J. is still a candidate for beatification. He is the author of several books about his life in the Russian Gulags including "With God in Russia" and "He Leadeth Me".
I think he was a former Latin priest who became Russian Catholic and served in Russia.
Silouan

>What's the difference between a bishop and a bishop-confessor?<

He's a bishop *and* a confessor. A confessor is someone who suffered for the faith without suffering martyrdom.

If you are looking at this from the Eastern perspective, many of these "causes" have been taken up.

As particular Churches sui iuris, there is nothing impeding veneration of holy men and women as saints.

If we look at the end of the earthly lives of our blessed hierarchs, we can see some of the difference in these titles.

Blessed Bishop-Confessor Pavel Gojdich died in a Czechoslovak Communist prison having been there for many years.

Blessed Bishop-Martyr Teodor Romzha was severely injured after his carriage was rammed and run off the road by a Soviet tank; while in the hospital, an NKVD "nurse" agent administered a fatal poison to end his earthly life.

Technically speaking, these holy bishops' "causes" are continuing because it remains for the Holy Father to declare them as Saints, but for us Byzantines, we make no such real distinction. We have already had the last panachidas sung for them, we now invoke them liturgically in prayer, we now paint icons of them with the nimbus (halo).

Thanks, Sidney.

ChristTeen287

Also noteworthy is the cause of Mother Sophronia Erdely OSBM (a non-martyr) who founded the Basilian Sisters' provence in Argentina. I have made some inquiries about her but have not gotten much information yet.

There are many martyr candidates from the Romanian Greek Catholic church also, most of the bishops (if not all of them) from the end of the Second World War to the end of the communist era.

http://198.62.75.12/www2/greek-catholic/image/martyrs/index.html

With Best Wishes to All for a Blessed New Year!
Stefan-Ivan

Dear Friends,

My understanding is that Father Walter was a novice when Pope Pius XI asked for Jesuit missionaries willing to go into the Soviet Union in the 1930s. After studying Russian, he was ordained in the Byzantine Rite for the Russian Church. He, of course, had to serve within Russia in secret.

His gravesite is in Wernersville, PA. and the cause is still active. I couple of articles are quoted below.

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"Walter Ciszek, S.J., was a Polish-American born in Shenandoah, PA, one of the state's coal regions. He spent 23 years in Soviet prisons and gulags, and was presumed dead by his family, his Jesuit order and the Church. He was released from Soviet oppression in 1963, exchanged for two Russian spies held by the U.S. government. Father Ciszek is now being considered for beatification in the Roman Catholic Church. His cause is being handled by our Diocese of Allentown, PA - Bishop Edward Cullen"

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"The Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League is the official organization for the promotion of the cause of canonization of Father Walter Ciszek, S.J. Originally established and approved by the Most Rev. Michael Dudick, bishop of the Byzantine Eparchy of Passaic (now retired), the Father Walter Ciszek Prayer League works for the promotion of the cause through prayers and the living out of Father Walter's spiritual message of the acceptance of the Will of God in vibrant faith. The process of the cause has been officially transferred to the control of the Diocese of Allentown, PA and Most Rev. Edward P. Cullen, D.D"

The website is:

http://nyssa.cecs.uofs.edu/ciszek.html

Have a Blessed New Year!!!

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

Dear Friends,

Another candidate for canonization is Catherine DeHueck Doherty. She was born in Tsarist Russia in 1896 and fled to the west after the Bolshevik revolution.

Baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, she later joined the Catholic Church, but retained much of her Eastern spirituality. Her biography can be found at:

http://www.catherinedoherty.org/life/index.html

Have a Blessed New Year!!!

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

Dear Friends,

Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky awaits beatification and canonization too, let's not forget!

There are numerous Causes that have been introduced over the years that have yet to see the light of day.

St Basil Velichkovsky, when he came out of soviet imprisonment, introduced the causes of five Eastern Catholic Martyrs at Rome.

All five were converts from Orthodoxy, three Monks of the Pochaiv Lavra and two Orthodox professors of theology, all of whom died for union with Rome. They are written up in the Redemptorist publication on the life of St Basil.

More than 40 Basilian martyrs for the Union have their Cause pending at Rome, all were martyred before the 19th century. Meletius Smotrytsky, the hierarch who was perhaps the most instrumental in the martyrdom of St Josaphat, has never had his Cause cancelled, but it is dormant. The Servant of God Metropolitan Benjamin Rutsky of St Josaphat's time also his Cause pending, my parish has icon on one of the walls.

The veneration of Patriarch-Confessor Josef Slipyj is strong, but especially so in Ukraine and many letters go to Rome asking for his Cause to begin - I don't know if a Cause has been formally introduced, I'll ask the Patriarch when he is here next month.

Alex

I believe that Patriarch Joseph's process was started about 4 years ago. They already had an icon (without a halo) of him at the church built near his birthplace (Zazdrist, Ternopil Oblast, Ukraine).

Daniil