Pope Leo XIV recalled the life and legacy of the cardinal In the chest Iuliu Hossu, a Romanian Catholic bishop, “shepherd and martyr of faith during the communist persecution in Romania”, whom he commemorated today in the Vatican and who saved thousands of Jews from death during World War II.
Cardinal In the chest
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“We have gathered today in the Sistine Chapel to commemorate, in the Jubilee Year dedicated to hope, to an apostle of hope: the Blessed Cardinal Iuliu Hossu, Greco-Catolic Bishop of Cluj-Gherla,” said the Holy Father at the beginning of his speech at the commemoration ceremony of the purple died on May 28, 1970, 55 years ago.
“Today, in a sense,” Pope León continued – enters this chapel after San Pablo VI, on April 28, 1969, appoint him Cardinal In the chest (In secret), while he was in prison for his faithfulness to the Church of Rome. ”
The Cardinal Designation of Bishop Hossu was known only in 1973, three years after the death of the cardinal In the chestas noted Vatican News.
According to the Catholic encyclopediathe Pope can create a cardinal In the chestdesignation that he only knows and the cardinal. It does not acquire the rights of the cardinals until it is publicly announced. If the Pope dies before being known, he does not become a member of the Cardinal College.
Just among nations
In his speech today, released by the Vatican Press Office, Leo XIV stressed that this year the cardinal is especially remembered, which is “fraternity symbol that transcends any ethnic or religious border. Its recognition process as ‘just among the nations’, initiated in 2022, is based on its brave commitment to support and save the Jews of the north of Transylvania when, between 1940 and 1944, the Nazis implemented the tragic plan to deport them to the extermination fields. ”
The title of “Just among the nations” is granted by the memory center of the Yad Vashem Holocaust in Jerusalem to the non -Jews who risked their lives to save the Jews from extermination at the hands of the Nazis.
Blessed’s action against the “darkness of suffering”
Leo XIV then remembered a passage from a pastoral letter of 1944, written by Blessed and Mártir, in which he pointed out: “Our call is directed to all of you, venerable brothers and beloved children, to help the Jews not only with their thoughts, but also with their sacrifice, aware that today we cannot do a noblest work that this Christian and Romanian help, born of a burning human. present must be this relief work. ”
“Cardinal Hossu, between 1940 and 1944, contributed to save thousands of Jews from death in northern Transylvania. The hope of the great shepherd was that of the faithful man, who knows that the doors of evil will not prevail against the work of God,” continued the Holy Father.
After highlighting that he was a man who lived the “prayer and dedication to others”, Pope León recalled that the Pope Francis beatified him on June 2, 2019 in BLAJ (Romania) – Together with six other martyrs – and highlighted a phrase of his homily that were from the bishop and cardinal: “God has sent us to these darkness of suffering to forgive and pray for the conversion of all.”
For Pope Leo XIV, the phrase “is still a prophetic invitation to overcome hatred through forgiveness and to live faith with dignity and courage.”
“Valient and generous man, even to the supreme sacrifice”
The Pope also stressed that “Cardinal Hossu’s message is more timely than ever. What he did for Romania Jews, the actions he undertook to protect others, despite all risks and dangers, show him as a model of free, brave and generous man, even even the supreme sacrifice.”
“Therefore, his motto, ‘Our faith is our life’, it should become the motto of each of us.”
After encouraging the example of Blessed to be “a light for today’s world,” Pope Leo XIV finally exclaimed: “Let’s say” no “to violence, to any violence, even more so if it is perpetrated against helpless and helpless people, such as children and families!”
Who was Iuliu Hossu?
Iuliu Hossu was a Greco-Catolic and Cardinal Bishop In the chest. He was born on January 30, 1885 in Milas.
In 1904 he began his theological studies at the College of Propaganda Fide in Rome. In 1906 and 1908 he was a doctorate in philosophy and theology respectively. On March 27, 1910 he was ordained a priest.
According to Vatican Newson March 3, 1917 he was appointed Bishop of the Greco-Catholic Eparquía of Gerla in Transylvania. In 1930, Eparquía changed its name to Cluj-Gherla, moving its center to the city of Cluj Napoca. Here there was an occupation period between 1940 and 1944.
On October 28, 1948, Bishop Hossu was arrested by the communist government and taken to Dragoslavele. He was subsequently transferred to the Orthodox Monastery of Caldarusani and in 1950 to the Penitentiary of Sighetul Marmatiei. In 1955 he arrived in Curtea de Arges, in 1956 to the monastery of Ciorogarla and finally again to Caldarusani.
In August 1961, he wrote this in prison: “Your love, Lord, I have not been able to take it away; He is enough for me: I apologize for all my sins and I thank you with all my being for everything you have given me, your unworthy servant.”
Iuliu Hossu was deprived of all freedom until his death on May 28, 1970 at the Hospital Colentina de Bucharest, where his last words were: “My battle is over, yours continues.”
Walter Sánchez Silva
I am husband since 2008. With my wife we have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before birth. Since I joined ACI Press in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Colonia, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the family’s synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Sinodality, in 2023. I follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers the persecution of the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as the ecclesial news in the region.