Josaphat Kuntsevych “Saint Josaphat” redirects here. For the 3rd or 4th 1.2 Monk and archbishop Century saint, see Barlaam and Josaphat. In 1604, in his early 20s, Kuntsevych entered the Josaphat Kuntsevych, O.S.B.M., (c. 1580 – 12 Monastery of the Trinity of the Basilian monks in Vilnius, November 1623) (Belarusian: Язафат Кунцэвіч, Jazafat at which time he was given the religious name of Jos- Kuncevič, Polish: Jozafat Kuncewicz, Ukrainian: Йо- aphat. Stories of his sanctity rapidly spread and distin- сафат Кунцевич, Josafat Kuntsevych) was a monk and guished people began to visit the young monk. After a archeparch (archbishop) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic notable life as a layman, Rutsky also joined the Order. Church, who died at Vitebsk in the Polish-Lithuanian When Josaphat was ordained to the diaconate, his regu- Commonwealth (now in Belarus), on 12 November 1623, lar services and labor for the Church had already begun. killed by a mob of Orthodox Christians. He has been de- As a result of his efforts, the number of novices to the clared a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church. Order steadily increased, and under Rutsky—who had meanwhile been ordained a priest—there began the re- vival of Eastern Catholic monastic life among the Ruthe- nians (Belarusians and Ukrainians). In 1609, after pri- vate study under Jesuit priest Blessed Peter Faber, Jos- aphat was ordained a priest by a Catholic bishop. He sub- 1 Life sequently became the hegumen (prior) of several monas- teries. On November 12, 1617, he was consecrated as the 1.1 Early life bishop of the Eparchy of Vitebsk (possibly a titular see created for him), and coadjutor for the Archeparchy of Polotsk. He succeeded as archeparch in March 1618.[1] He was born Ioann (John) Kuntsevych in 1580 or 1584 Kuntsevych faced a daunting task of bringing the local in the city of Volodymyr in the province of Volhynia, then populace to accept union with Rome. He faced stiff op- part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, now in position from the monks, who feared the Latinization of Ukraine. His birth occurred while the Ruthenian Church the liturgy of the Church. As archeparch, he restored the was nominally unified. It had belonged to the Russian Or- churches: he issued a catechism to the clergy, with in- thodox Church, but in 1596 come under the authority of structions that it should be learned by heart; composed the pope through the Union of Brest. rules for the priestly life, entrusting to the deacons the task Although of noble Belarusian descent (szlachta, of superintending their observance; assembled synods in Kuncewicz family), his father had embarked in busi- various towns in the dioceses, and firmly opposed the ness, and held the office of town-councilor. Both of Polish Imperial Chancellor Sapieha who wished to make Kuntsevych’s parents encouraged religious participation too many concessions to the Eastern Orthodox. Through- and Christian piety in the young John. In the school out all his strivings and all his occupations, he continued at Volodymyr he gave evidence of unusual talent; he his religious devotion as a monk, and never abated his applied himself to the study of the Church Slavonic desire for self-mortification. Through all this he was suc- language, and learned almost the entire horologion by cessful in winning over a large portion of the people.<ref heart, which from this period he began to read daily. name=AC /[2] From this source he drew his early religious education, Kuntsevych’s activity provoked a strong reaction. A rival because the clergy seldom preached or gave catechetical hierarchy was set up by the Orthodox Church, with the instruction in that period. monk Meletius Smotrytsky being appointed the Ortho- Owing to the straitened financial circumstances of his dox Archeparch of Polotsk. Smotrytsky publicly claimed parents, Kuntsevych was apprenticed to a merchant that Josaphat was preparing a total Latinization of the named Papovič in Vilnius. In this Polish-Lithuanian city, Church and its rituals.[3] The inhabitants of Mogilev re- divided through the contentions of the various religious volted against Kuntsevych in October 1618 and chased sects, he became acquainted with men, such as Josyf him out of the city. Kuntsevych then complained to Veliamyn Rutsky, who supported the recent union with King Sigismund who brutally suppressed the Orthodox Rome, and under whose direction he furthered his inter- revolt—all leaders of the revolt were executed, includ- est in the Catholic Church. ing Bohdan Sobol, the father of Spiridon Sobol, while 1 2 2 LEGACY all Orthodox churches were taken away and given to the response to the murder, the Government executed about Greek-Catholics.[4][5] 100 people,and town hall and church bells were removed. 1.3 Death 2 Legacy 2.1 Hagiography As a boy Kuntsevych was said to have shunned the usual games of childhood, prayed much, and lost no opportu- nity to assist at the Church services. Children especially regarded him with affection. As an apprentice, he de- voted every leisure hour to prayer and study. At first Pa- povič viewed this behavior with displeasure, but Josaphat gradually won such a position in his esteem, that Papovič offered him his entire fortune and his daughter’s hand. But Josaphat’s love for the religious life never wavered. Kuntsevych’s favourite devotional exercise was the tradi- tional Eastern monastic practice of making prostrations, in which the head touches the ground, while saying the Jesus Prayer: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' Never eating meat, he fasted much, wore a hair shirt and a chain around his waist. He slept on the bare floor, and chastised his body until the blood flowed. The Jesuits frequently urged him to set some bounds to his austerities. From Kuntsevych’s zealous study of the Slavonic- Byzantine liturgical books he drew many proofs of Catholic doctrine, using his knowledge in the composi- tion of several original works — On the Baptism of St. Martyrdom of Josaphat Kuntsevych (c. 1861) by Józef Simmler, National Museum in Warsaw Volodymyr; On the Falsification of the Slavic Books by the Enemies of the Metropolitan; On Monks and their Vows. Throughout his adult life, he was distinguished by his ex- The suppression caused Kuntsevych to be even more traordinary zeal in performing the Church services and by fiercely resisted by the Orthodox. A rival hierarchy was extraordinary devotion during the Divine Liturgy. Not set up by the Orthodox Church, with the monk Meletius only in the church did he preach and hear confessions, Smotrytsky being appointed the Orthodox Archeparch of but likewise in the fields, hospitals, prisons, and even on Polotsk. Smotrytsky publicly claimed that Josaphat was his personal journeys. This zeal, united with his kindness preparing a total Latinization of the Church and its rit- for the poor, won great numbers of Orthodox Rutheni- uals. The inhabitants of Mogilev revolted against him in ans for the Catholic faith and Catholic unity. Among his October 1618 and chased him out of the city. Kuntsevych converts were included many important personages such then sent a complaint to King Sigismund and the Ortho- as Patriarch Ignatius, former Patriarch of Moscow, and dox revolt was brutally suppressed. All leaders of the re- Manuel Kantakouzenos, who belonged to the imperial volt were executed, including Bohdan Sobol, the father of family of the Byzantine Emperor Palaeologus. Spiridon Sobol, while all Orthodox churches were taken away and given to the Greek-Catholics. During November 1623, despite warnings, he went to 2.2 Canonization Vitebsk. There, on November 12, the Orthodox sent to his residence a priest who stood in the courtyard of After numerous miracles attributed to Kuntsevych were his house shouting insults at him. Archbishop Josaphat claimed and reported to Church officials, a commission had the priest taken away and confined to his house. In was appointed by Pope Urban VIII in 1628 to start in- response, the town bell was rung, which summoned a quire for his possible canonization, for which they exam- mob.[3] The mob attacked the archbishop’s residence, and ined under oath 116 witnesses. Although five years had in the course of the attack an axe-stroke and a bullet ended elapsed since Josaphat’s death, his body was claimed to his life. His body was tossed into the river. It was recov- still be incorrupt. In 1637, a second commission investi- ered and honored—eventually transported to Rome and gated his life and, in 1643, twenty years after his death, given the honor of burial within St. Peter’s Basilica.[3] In Josaphat was beatified. He was canonized on June 29, 3 1867 by Pope Pius IX.[6] • St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in the Edmonton Eparchy, Edmonton, Alberta Society of St. Josaphat A group of Ukrainian Catholics, who oppose the changes made in the Ruthenian Rite to reduce Roman influence, have formed the Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat. They are linked to the Society of St. Pius X which has not recognized the authority of the Second Vatican Council. Relic There is a relic of the saint in the “catacombs” of Holy The Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee Trinity Polish Mission in Chicago. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church keeps his feast day on the first Sunday after November 12. (This Church 3 See also uses the Julian Calendar, whose November 12 now corre- sponds to the Gregorian Calendar November 25.) When, • Blessed Josaphata Hordashevska - Foundress and in 1867, Pope Pius IX inserted his feast into the General missionary under patronage of St. Josaphat Roman Calendar, it was assigned to November 14, which was the first free day after November 12, which was then • List of Catholic saints occupied by the feast of "Saint Martin I, Pope and Mar- tyr.” In Pope Paul VI's 1969 revision of the calendar, this latter feast was moved to Pope Saint Martin’s dies 4 References natalis (birthday to heaven), and Saint Josaphat’s feast [7] was moved to that date, his own dies natalis.