Saint of the day November 12: Saint Josaphat. Catholic Saints

Every November 12, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Josaphat, martyr of Christianity, who was a Ruthenian Greek-Catholic bishop (originally from the ancient and disappeared “Kievn Rus”) in the 17th century.

Saint Josaphat of Lithuania – as he is also known – is considered the patron of the return to unity between Orthodox Christians and Catholics, divided by a historical schism (1054) that despite the passage of centuries calls for a definitive reconciliation.

Byzantine rite Catholic priest

Josaphat (John) Kuncewicz was born in Volodymyr of Volhynia, Duchy of Lithuania, in 1580. The son of Orthodox parents, he lived in times when the traditional Orthodox Church and the Belarusian Greek Catholic Church of the Greek rite were in constant conflict. The latter – of which Josaphat would be a part – managed to reestablish full communion with Rome during the Council of Florence (1451-1452), officially recognizing Peter’s primacy over the rest of the bishops.

Josaphat thus integrated into Catholicism and was admitted to the Order of Saint Basil. He received the priestly order in the Byzantine rite and would later be named archbishop of Polotsk (present-day Belarus).

Heal wounds and reconcile

It is clear that Archbishop Saint Josaphat lived through turbulent times. The schism would continue to be an open wound in the heart of Christianity: many temples were destroyed and were in ruins, while the crisis of the secular Catholic clergy increased due to the presence of married priests – among them even some polygamists – and a life monasticism in clear decline.

Saint Josaphat called a synod of the pastors under his command with the intention of confronting the crisis, published a catechism, established ordinances on the conduct of the clergy, and sought to end the interference of secular power in the affairs of the local church. At the same time, he worked tirelessly to assist his parishioners by strengthening the administration of the sacraments and attention to the neediest, poor, sick and prisoners.

Unity under the primacy of Peter

His pastoral zeal brought him slander, malicious criticism and misunderstanding. He made “external” enemies, but also unexpected “internal” enemies, since many Catholics wanted to avoid the rule of spiritual discipline and the demands of charity – which must always prevail in the hierarchy.

In this way, Josaphat became the target of a series of conspiracies to defenestrate him, and even assassinate him.

The saint, in response to the imminent danger to his life, declared: “I am ready to die for the sacred union, for the supremacy of Saint Peter and the Roman Pontiff.” On November 12, 1623, shouting “Death to the papist!”, Saint Josaphat was attacked by the Orthodox extremist mob and then murdered – he fell pierced by a spear.

Josaphat, sign of possible unity: the thief of souls

Blessed Pius IX, in 1867, was in charge of canonizing Saint Josaphat, making him the first saint of the Eastern Catholic Church to go through a formal canonization process.

During the Second Vatican Council, and at the request of Pope Saint John XXIII, the remains of Saint Josaphat were placed on the altar of Saint Basil, in Saint Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Pius XI, in his Encyclical Letter “the Church of God” (The Church of God) wrote that Saint Josaphat “began to dedicate himself to the restoration of unity, with so much strength and so gentleness at the same time and with so much fruit that his own adversaries called him ‘thief of souls’.”

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If you want to know more about Saint Josaphat, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia’: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/San_Josafat_Kuncevyc.