www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Catholic Passionbearers of Soviet Russia

For some time, I have been writing for the Catholic media about the Catholic martyrs and confessors under the Soviet Union. To date, I have published articles about Blessed Leonid Feodorov, Blessed Theodore Romzha, and Mother Catherine Abrikosova, O.P.L. I hope to one day publish an anthology inlcuding these articles and others like them, both Latin and Byzantine.

Unfortunately, I have often found information in English to be rather scanty about those whom I wish to write about. Although I have continued my research with the generous assistance of Father Christopher Zugger, I am asking for all of your prayers. I have long believed that Catholic opposition to Marxism needs to go hand in hand with devotion to our martyrs and confessors.

Among those whom I hope to write about in the future are the following:

Father Potapii Emelianov, a Russian Greek-Catholic priest who converted from Old Belief. Father Potapii, who described his Catholic Faith as strengthened by the horrors of the GULAG, died during the building of Stalin's infamous White Sea Canal.

Monsignor Constantine Budkiewicz, a Latin Rite priest of Polish ancestry and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Mohilev and all Russia. Known for his staunch opposition to Atheist propaganda among his parishioners, Monsignor Budkiewicz was given a political show trial which climaxed with a death sentence on Palm Sunday, 1923. On the early morning of Easter Sunday, the Monsignor was taken to the Lubianka Prison and shot. Once. In the back of the head. He may be considered one of the Proto-Martyrs of the Soviet Union.

Archbishop Jan Baptist Cieplak, Latin Rite Archbishop of Mohilev and all Russia. Although sentenced to death alongside his Vicar General, the international outcry spawned by the execution of Monsignor Budkiewicz saved the Archbishop's life. After being deported from Soviet soil, ARchbishop Cieplak's sufferings had been so great that he died within only a few years of his release. He was once asked by a Vatican Cardinal about his experiences in the GULAG. Rather than respond, the Archbishop sadly asked the Cardinal to pray for Russia. His cause for Beatification was opened during the 1950s.

If any of you have any further suggestions about other martyrs or confessors, feel free to contact me.

Why not include Christian martyrs of all confessions.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of Russia is promoting the beatification of several new martyrs, including a few Greek Catholics: http://en.catholicmartyrs.org/ (You may experience problems logging onto the site).

Actually, I rarely have issues logging onto the site of the Russian Bishop's Conference. The OP can find additional names at the Hagiography Circle [newsaints.faithweb.com]

And, as a follow-up to the very excellent suggestion of my brother, AMM, the Hagiography Circle hosts a page titled Non-Catholic Models [newsaints.faithweb.com], which it describes thusly:



Although it has not yet added text to those pictured there, the names are a readily available source for research. It's a diverse group and some listed would be controversial in certain quarters. However, there are many regarding whose saintliness there are no arguments. These include persons who gave much, many their very lives, to God's people, such as Mother Saint Elizaveta (Feodorovna) and Dietrich Bonhoffer, and others much less well-known but no less worthy of remembrance, such as Sister Constance & her Companions - the Martyrs of Memphis.

Many years,

Neil

I don't think the Catholic Communion of Churches regards itself in any position to beatify/canonize members of other faith traditions.

To do so would rightly appear presumptuous on our part.

I, however, do venerate and invoke privately some post-schism Orthodox saints, like Seraphim of Sarov, Elizabeth the New Martyr, Herman of Alaska, Xenia of St. Petersburg, Mother Maria of Paris, Nektarios of Aegina and John Maximovitch and even, at times, Alexis Toth. Not that that makes me special...saint-veneration is not about ME but it is about GOD.

I suspect the Orthodox Churches would be highly displeased if we beatified/canonized any of their members. The Orthodox seem very sensitive to anything that looks like Catholic interference in their internal affairs, and I understand & sympathize with that.

sielos,

I don't think the Hagiography Circle (a body of learned and very respectful scholars of the canonization process) is suggesting that the Catholic Church do anything of that sort. However, Catholics would be ignorant to deny, ignore, or otherwise fail to acknowledge that there are, among the faithful of other Christian Churches - and among the faithful of other non-Christian religions, persons of extraordinary holiness.

Many years,

Neil

I love the Hagiography Circle.

Indeed, the late Metropolitan Nicholas took a similar approach regarding the Greek Catholic martyrs of the Communist era in Slovakia and Transcarpathia. When a few years ago he proclaimed an annual Sunday for the commemoration of the Orthodox Saints of Carpatho-Rus and commissioned the writing of an Icon to commemorate them, he also specifically asked the faithful to remember the Blessed Pavel Goidich and Blessed Theodore Rhomza. While some closed-minded Orthodox objected to his actions, he was undeterred. http://www.orthodoxgoods.com/icon-of-the-synaxis-of-the-saints-of-carpathorus.html

While they are not depicted on this Icon, many of our parishes have small icons of the martyrs for veneration.

I trust that my enlightened Catholic brothers and sisters would hold the same in return.

David,

As a matter of fact, when I was commenting on this thread, that act on the part of His Eminence Nicholas, of blessed memory, came immediately and clearly to my mind.

Many years,

Neil