www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Bl. Jozef Bilczewski Preparing for Canonization

16-February-2005 -- Vatican Information Service

CONSISTORY TO VOTE ON SEVERAL CAUSES OF CANONIZATION
VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2005 (VIS) - On Thursday, February 24 at 11 a.m. in the Clementine Hall, there will be a Public Ordinary Consistory for the canonization of the following Blesseds: Jozef Bilczewski, bishop ; Gaetano Catanoso, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Veronica Sisters of the Holy Face; Zygmunt Gorazdowski, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph; Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, priest of the Society of Jesus; Felice Da Nicosia (Filippo Giacomo Armoroso), religious of the Franciscan Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.

The Good Shepherd Bl. J�zef Bilczewski is part of the Pope's line of apostolic succession

I am pleased that the Archdiocese of Lviv now has a second Archbishop beatified. The year 1790 saw the beatification of Jakub Strzemię", who was the leader of this Church from 1391-1409, and now another Pastor of the Archdiocese, J�zef Bilczewski, is raised to the honours of the altar. Does this not testify to the continuity of the faith of this people and to the blessing of God, who sends them Pastors worthy of their calling? How can we fail to give thanks to God for this gift to the Church in Lviv?

Archbishop J�zef Bilczewski invites us to be generous in living the love of God and neighbour. This was his supreme rule of life. From the early years of his priesthood he cultivated a burning passion for revealed Truth, and this led him to make theological research an original way of translating the command to love God into practical behaviour. In his priestly life, as in the various important positions he held at the Jan Casimir University in Lviv and at the Jagiellonian University in Krak�w, he always gave example of his great love of neighbour as well as his love of God. He was especially concerned for the poor, and developed warm and respectful relations with his colleagues and students, who invariably reciprocated with esteem and affection.

His appointment as Archbishop gave him the chance to widen and expand the range of his charity. In the especially difficult period of the First World War, Blessed J�zef Bilczewski was like a living icon of the Good Shepherd, ready to encourage and support his people with inspired words full of kindness. He came to the aid of the needy, for whom he nurtured such a love that even beyond death he wanted to be with them, choosing to be laid to rest in the Janow cemetery in Lviv, where paupers were buried. A good and faithful servant of the Lord, motivated by deep spirituality and unceasing charity, he was loved and esteemed by all his fellow citizens, regardless of their religious convictions, rite or nationality.

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Bless, Father Gregory,

Actually, it would be an even BETTER sign if Rome would agree to beatify Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky.

I think it is a bit much for Bl. Josef Bilczewski to be canonized before Met. Andrew is even beatified.

AND, FYI, Met. Andrew is also in the line of consecration of Pope John Paul II.

It is news like this that makes me happy for the RC Church and sad for the UGCC.

So, from now on, may I suggest we all identify Met. Andrew as being "Polish?"

Alex

Alex, +May the LORD bless you always! Metropolitan ANDREI, who ordained me deacon and priest use to say of Metropolitan Andrew Shepticsky, "Our great Father among the Saints!"

May the Lord reward both hierarchs with honor in Eternity for their faithfulness to Him!

In His great mercy,
+Fr. Gregory

Bless, Father!

Actually, I met an Orthodox hierarch once who wanted to begin a glorification process for Met. Andrew within Orthodoxy . . .

He even asked me to do preliminary research for him . . .

It didn't go anywhere, however.

Alex

Alex -

I found this link on Metropolitan Andrew.

http://www.infoukes.com/religion/sheptytsky/

How can one help his cause for canonization? Any ideas?

Gordo

Dear Gordo,

Petition the Vatican?

Alex

Dear Cardinal _____-ini or -osi,

I just wanted to find out what it would take to kick start the canonization process for Metropolitan Andrew Sheptytsky.

Perhaps his file has been lost or is sitting next to the bubble gum in the front drawer of your desk? Perhaps a better suggestion would be to turn the whole thing over to Patriarch Husar. I imagine that the canonization process would take about a week, confirming what all Eastern Catholics (and Orthodox) already know about the saintly spiritual leader who faced off the tyrannies of Berlin and Moscow. I have included a pre-stamped envelope already addressed to his All-Holiness' residence at his Patriarchal See of Kiev.

Thank you again for your prompt consideration of this matter. See you at the celebration!

Regards -

Gordo

Jose Saraiva Martins, actually.

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

Would it be that hard to get a canonization? I mean, this Pope has canonized nearly everyone except Mother Teresa's housekeeper. It would seem the perfect time to submit this while John Paul II is still in office.

Gordo,

Brilliant! Even better - the UGCC, as a full fledged "Church", should canonise it's own saints. Then, if other Churches of the Catholic Communion wish to include Ukrainian saints such as St Andrei, then can do so at their leisure - and be richer for it!

Σώσον, Κύριε, καί διαφύλαξον η�άς από τών Βασιλιάνικων τάξεων!

Fr. Paul Szymanski (Shymans'kyi), dean of
the Teological Faculty of Warsaw University,
later prelate of the GC chapter in Xolm, clearly wrote in a letter to his bishop Ferdynand Ciechanowski of Xolm (dated on May 1st 1822) that
it had been a grave mistake of Metropolitan Joseph
Velyamin Ruts'kyi to ask the Pope to canonize Hieromartyr Josaphat instead of proclaiming him a saint just like the Ruthenian Church always had
done before.

Sincerely,
deacon Peter

Dear Father Deacon Peter,

That "Shymansky" was my wife's direct ancestor . . .

Alex

PETITION TO HIS BEATITUDE, PATRIARCH LUBOMYR HUSAR OF THE UKRAINIAN GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH TO GLORIFY AS A SAINT THE BLESSED HIERARCH ANDREW SHEPTYTSKY, METROPOLITAN OF HALYCH AND ARCHBISHOP OF L'VIV

Your Beatitude, we the undersigned do petition you to reclaim the ancient and inalienable right of the Church of Kyivan-Rus' to glorify her own Saints and canonize the Blessed Hierarch, Metropolitan Andrew, the devoted Servant of the Lord and tireless worker in His Vineyard as Primate and Defender of the Ukrainian and Russian Catholic Churches, in Eastern Europe and abroad;

We, the undersigned, have already professed Blessed Andrew to be a great Saint of God, having been glorified by the Grace of our Lord, God and Saviour Jesus Christ to be His witness, messenger and leader of the Greek-Catholics of Eastern Europe in the time of their greatest martyrdom for the Name of the Lord, and do respectfully ask you to exercise your Patriarchal privilege and right in this regard, a right that was also exercised by the Metropolitans of Kyiv, Galich and all Rus' from the time of St Peter Akerovych, Metropolitan of Kyiv who participated personally in the Council of Lyons.

We hereby affix our names to this petition, praying most fervently for Your Beatitude and Your Beatitude's Patriarchal Synod in the hope of the realization of this undertaking:

Alexander Roman, Toronto, Canada


(any others?)

Alex

Marvellous! Well written!

Please include my name!

Gordo

He hands out canonizations like the Clintons hand out last-minute presidential pardons!

Oops - I broke my Lenten fast and brought up politics!

A thousand pardons...