November 14 — Saint Josaphat

Poland would have secured the triumph of the Catholic oause, and her own dominion throughout Slavonia. The union of the new-comers with the Roman Pontiff, which a little more political insight and religious zeal might have brought about in the fourteenth century, was not concluded until 1595.

This was the union of Brzeso. By the oompaot signed in this little town of Lithuania, the metropolitan of Kiev and the other Greek bishops deolared that they returned to the communion of the holy Apostolic See. Being the spiritual superiors of half the nation, they thus completed the union of the three peoples, Ruthenian, Lithuanian, and Polish, then subject to Sigismund III. Now, a religious reform, even if decreed by a council, does not beoome a reality until men of God, true apostles, and if need be martyrs, come forward to consummate it. This was the vocation of St. Josaphat, the apostle and martyr of the Union of Brzeso. What he did not himself carry out was completed by his disciples. A century of glory was secured to the nation, and its political ruin was delayed for two hundred years.

But Poland left in a state of humiliating inferiority the clergy and people of the Graeeo-Slavonio rite, who had taken shelter in her bosom ; her politicians never admitted practically that Christians of the Greek rite could be true Catholics, on an equality with their Latin brethren. Soon, however, the Latin Poles were engaged in deadly combat with the Muscovites, and we know how the former were vanquished. Historians lay down the causes of Poland's defeat ; but they usually forget the prinoipal one, which rendered it irremediable, viz : the almost total destruction of the Union of Brzesc, the forced return to schism of the immense majority of the Ruthenians whom St. Josaphat had brought into the Catholio Church. The consummation of this execrable worfc contributed, far more than politioal oiroumstances or military triumphs, to establish Russia's victory. Poland, reduced to nine or ten million Latins, could no longer struggle against her former rival now become her stern ruler.

The power of the Slavs separated from Catholic unity is on the increase. Young nations, emancipated from the Mussulman yoke, have formed in the Balkan Peninsula. Fidelity to the Graeoo-Slavonian rite, identified in their eyes with their nationality and with Christianity, was alone able to save these peoples from being stamped out by the Turkish forces. Victorious over the universal enemy, they cannot forget whence came their safety : the moral and religious direction of these resuscitated nations belongs accordingly to Russia. Profiting of these advantages with consummate skill and energy, she continues to develop her influence in the East. In Asia her progress is still more prodigious. The Czar, who at the end of the eighteenth century ruled over thirty million men, now governs one hundred and twenty-five millions ; and by the normal increase of an exceptionally prolific population, the Empire, within another half century, will reckon more than two hundred millions of subjects.

Unhappily for Russia and for the Church, this power is guided at present by blind prejudice. Not only is Russia separated from Catholio unity, but political interest and the recollection of anoient strifes, convince her that her greatness depends upon the triumph of what she calls orthodoxy, whioh is simply the Photian sohism. Tet the Roman Church, ever devoted and generous, opens wide her arms to welcome back her wandering daughter ; forgetting the injuries she has received, she asks but to be greeted with the name of mother. Let this word be uttered, and a whole sad past will be effaced.

Russia becoming Catholic would mean an end to Islamism, and the definitive triumph of the Cross upon the Bosphorus, without any danger to Europe ; the Christian empire in the East restored with a glory and a power hitherto unknown ; Asia evangelized, not by a few poor isolated priests, but with the help of an authority greater than that of Charlemagne ; and lastly, the Slavonic race brought into unity of faith and aspirations, for its own greater glory. This transformation will be the greatest event of the century that shall see its accomplishment ; it will change the face of the world.

Is there any foundation for such hopes ? Come what may, St. Josaphat will always be the patron and model of future apostles of the Union in Russia, and in the whole Ghrseco-Slavonic world. By his birth, education, and studies, by the bent of his piety and all his habits of life, he resembled far more the Russian monks of the present day, than the Latin prelates of his own time. He always desired the ancient Liturgy of his Church to be preserved entire; and even to his last breath he carried it out lovingly, without the least alteration or 'diminution, just as the first apostles of the Christian faith had brought it from Constantinople to Kiev. May prejudices born of ignorance be obliterated ; and then, despised though his name now is in Russia, St. Josaphat will no sooner be known, than he will be loved and invoked by the Russians themselves.

Our GrsBco-Slavonian brethren cannot much longer turn a deaf ear to the invitations of the Sovereign Pontiff. Let us hope, then, that the day will come, and that before very long, when the wall of separation will crumble away for ever, and the same hymn of thanksgiving will echo at once under the dome of r St. Peter's and the oupolas of Kiev and of St. Petersburg. 1

We oannot presume to add anything to these authoritative words ; the details will be filled up by the liturgical Legend.

Josaphat Kuncewitius no- Josaphat Kuncewicz was bilibus et catholicis paren- born of noble Catholic parents tibua Yladimirise in Volhi- at Vladimir in Volhynia. nia natus, cum puerulus When a child, as he was lis- matrem de Ohristi passione tening to his mother telling loquentem audiret, jaculo a him about the Passion of latere imaginis Jesu cruci- Christ, a dart issued from the fixi immisso, vnlnus in cor- image of Jesus crucified and de suscepit. Dei amore in- wounded him in the heart, census, adeo orationi aliis- Set on fire with the love of que piis operibus instare God, he began to devote him- coepit, ut provectioribus self with such zeal to prayer admirationi esset. Yicennis he was the admiration and the inter claustrales sancti Ba- model of his older companions, silii alumnos monasticam At the age of twenty he be- regulam professus, mirum came a monk under the Rule quos in evangelica perfec- of St. Basil, and made won- tione progressus fecerit. derful progress in evangelical

Nudis pedibus, frigidisRima perfection. He went barefoot licet sseviente regionis hie- even in the severe winter of me, incedebat : carnes num- that country ; he never ate quam, vinum nonnisi ex meat, drank wine only when obedientia adhibuit, apper- obliged by obedience, and wore rimoque cilicio ad obitum a rough hair-shirt until his usque corpus afllixit. Casti- death. The flower of his chas- tatis florem, quern ab ado- tity, which he had vowed in lescentia Virgini Deiparae early youth to the Virgin voverat, inviolatum serva- Mother of God, he preserved vit. Virtutis doctrinaeque unspotted. He soon became ejus brevi sic fama percre- so renowned for virtue and buit, ut quamvis junior, learning, that in spite of his

Bytenii monasterio prsefec- youth he was made superior tus sit ; mox Vilnensis ar- of the monastery of Byten ; chimandrita, ac demum ar- soon afterwards he became

1 R. R. Dom. A. Guepin, Un ap6tre de 1' union des E^lises an 17 e ei^cle, saint Josaphat ; Preface, passim. exemplo et chiepiscopus Polocensis, invitus quidem, sed Catholicis ge8tientibu, fuerit renuntiatus.

Hac dignitate auctus, nihil de priori vivendi ratione remittens, nonnisi divinum cultum et creditarum sibi ovium salutem cordi habuit. Catholicse unitatis ac veritatis strenuus propugnator, totis viribus adlaboravit ut schismaticos haereticosque ad communionem cum beati Petri sede reduce ret. Summum Pontificem ej usque potestatis plenitudinem ab impudentissimis impiorum calumniis et erroribus, qua concionibus, qua scriptis pietate ac doctrina refertis defendere numquam destitit. Episcopalem jurisdictionem et Ecclesiee bona a laicis usurpata yindicavit. Incredibile dictu est quot hsereticos in sinum matris Eoclesiae revocaverit. Unionis vero Grsecse Ecclesise cum Latina Josaphatum promotorem exstitisse prseclarissimum, etiam pontificia oracula diserte testantur. Ad haec, et templi Dei decori instaurando, et sacrarum virginum exstruendk sedibus, aliieque piis operibus juvandis, mensse suae proventus ultro erogavit. In pauperes adeo effusus, ut cum ohm inopise cujusdam yiduse sublevandse nihil occurreret, episcopale pallium, aeu Omophorion, oppigno- archimandrite of Vilna; and lastly, much against his will, but to the great joy of Catholics, he was chosen Archbishop of Polock.

In this dignity he relaxed nothing of his former manner of life ; and had nothing so much at heart as the divine service and the salvation of the sheep entrusted to him. He energetically defended Catholic faith and unity, and laboured to the utmost of his power to bring back schismatics and heretics to communion with the See of blessed Peter. The Sovereign Pontiff and the plenitude of nis power he never ceased to defend, both by preaching, and by writings full of piety and learning, against the most shameless calumnies and errors of the wicked. He vindicated episcopal rights, and restored ecclesiastical possessions which had been seized by laymen. Incredible was the number of heretics he won back to the bosom of Mother Church ; and the words of the Popes bear witness how greatly he promoted the union of the Greek and Latin churches. His revenues were entirely expended in restoring the beauty of God's house, in building dwellings for consecrated virgins, and in other pious works. So bountiful was he to the poor, that, on one occasion having nothing wherewith to supply the needs of a oertain widow, he ordered rari jusserit.

Tot catholicse fidei incrementa perditissimorum hominum adeo excitaverunt odia, ut, conspiratione inita, Christi athletam ad necem qurarerent; quam sibi imminere ipse in suo ad populum sermone prsenuntiavit. Cum itaque Vitepscum pastoralis visitationis gratia profectus esset, illi archiepiscopales invadunt sedes ; obvios quosque feriunt ac csedunt. Turn vir mitissimus quserentibus sponte occurrit, eosque amice compellans, Fiholi, inquit, quare familiares meos caeditis ? Si quid contra me habetis, ecce adsum. Hinc impetu facto, eum verberibus contundunt, telis confodiunt, ac demum immani securi necatum, in flumen projiciunt; die duodecima novembris anni sexcentesimi vicesimi tei*tii supra millesimum, setatis ejus quadragesimi tertii. Corpus mirabili luce circumfusum, ex imo fluminis alveo elatum est. Sanguis Martyris parricidis ipsis in primis profuit, qui fere omnes capitis damnati, ejurato schismate suum scelus detestati sunt. Cum tantus Prsesul plurimis post obitum coruscaret miraculis, eum Urbanus octavus Pontifex Maximus Beatorum honoribus decoravit. Pius nonus tertio calendas julias anni millesimi octingentesimi sexage- his Omophorion or episcopal pallium to be pawned.

The great progress made by the Catholic faith so stirred up the hatred of wicked men against the soldier of Christ, that they determined to put him to death. He knew what was threatening him ; and foretold it when preaching to the people. As he was making his pastoral visitation at Vitebsk, the murderers broke into his house, striking and wounding all whom they found. Josaphat meekly went to meet them, and accosted them kindly, saying : My little children, why do you strike my servants ? If you have any complaint against me, here I am. Hereupon they rushed on him, overwhelmed him with blows, pierced him with their spears, and at length despatched him with an axe and threw his body into the river. This took place on the twelfth of November 1623, in the forty-third year of his age. His body surrounded with a miraculous light was rescued from the waters. The martyr's blood won a blessing first of all for his murderers ; for, being condemned to death, they nearly all abjured their schism and repented of their crime. As the death of this great bishop was followed by many miracles, Pope Urban YIII. granted him the honours of beatification. On the third of the Calends of July, 1867, when celebrating the centen-

Bimi septimi, cum ssecularia ary Apostolorum Principum Varam Patrum Cardinalium senatu, simulque astantibus Patrifere quingentis, Patriarchis, archs, Metropolitis et Episcopis assemcujuscumque ritus, qui ex bled tot© terrarum orbe convenerant, hunc unitatis assertorem, primum ex orientalibus, solemni ri- ty, tu in Vaticana Sanctorum ordini accensuit. Leo XIII. Cujus Officium ac Missam Leo decimus tertius Summus Pontifex ad universam extendit Ecclesiam. of the Princes of the so- Apostles, Pius IX. in the lemnia celebrarentur, co- tican basilica, in presence of the College of Cardinals, and of about five hundred Metropolitans, and Bishops of every rite, from all parts of the world, solemnly enrolled ecclesiastic® among the Saints this great defender of the Church's indwho was the first Oriental Basilica to be thus honoured. Pope extended his Mass and Office to the universal Church,

" Stir up, 0 Lord, we beseech thee, in thy Church " the Spirit wherewith the blessed Josaphat thy Mar- "tyr and Pontiff was filled." 1 Thus prays our Mother to-day; and the Gospel likewise points to her desire of obtaining pastors like to thee, 0 holy Bishop ! The sacred text speaks of the false shepherd, who flees at first sight of the wolf ; but the Homily, which explains it in the Night Office, brands equally with the title of hireling the keeper who, though he does not flee, suffers the enemy unresisted to work havoc in the fold. May the divine Shepherd, whom thou didst imitate unto the end, even unto laying down thy life for the sheep, live again in all those whom he calls, like Peter, to exercise a greater love.

Apostle of unity, second the designs of the Sovereign Pontiff, calling back his scattered sheep to the one fold. The Guardian Angels of the Slavonic race applauded thy combats : thy blood ought to produce other heroes; the graces won by the shedding of

1 Collect of the Feast. that blood still uphold the admirable population of the humble and the poor of Ruthenia, in resisting the all-powerful schism; while, on the confines of that land of martyrs, hope springs up anew with the revival of the great Basilian Order, of whioh thou wast the glory. May these graces overflow upon the children of the persecutors ; may the present state of peace be the prelude to a full development of the light, and lead them back, in their turn, to that Rome whioh holds for them the promises both of time and of eternity.