Bienheureux Zoltan Ludvik Meszlènyi, évêque et martyr
Zoltan Ludvik Meszlènyi,
évêque hongrois, fut emprisonné dans une cellule, sous le régime communiste
soviétique, fenêtre ouverte jour et nuit même en hiver et plusieurs fois
torturé, sur les ordres du dictateur stalinien hongrois Matyas Rakosi pour
avoir pris la tête de l'église catholique hongroise après l'emprisonnement de
son prédécesseur, Joseph Mindszenty, un farouche opposant au régime en place.
Il serait mort le 4 mars 1951 ou le 11 janvier 1953 à Kistárcsa. Ses restes furent
enterrés en secret en 1966 dans la cathédrale d'Esztergom.
Bienheureux Zoltan Ludvik Meszlènyi
évêque hongrois et
martyr (✝ 1951)
Zoltan Ludvik
Meszlènyi, évêque hongrois, tué en haine de la foi à Kistárcsa, sous le régime
communiste soviétique, en 1951, a été béatifié le 31 octobre 2009 en la
cathédrale d'Esztergom (Hongrie).
Emprisonné dans une cellule, fenêtre ouverte jour et nuit même en hiver et
plusieurs fois torturé, il serait mort le 4 mars 1951 ou le 11 janvier 1953.
"Il est le premier religieux victime des persécutions staliniennes a
être béatifié", a déclaré le cardinal Peter Erdo dans la cathédrale
d'Esztergom, le siège de l'église catholique hongroise.
Zoltan Meszlenyi avait été emprisonné et torturé à mort en 1951 sur les
ordres du dictateur stalinien hongrois Matyas Rakosi pour avoir pris la tête de
l'église catholique hongroise après l'emprisonnement de son prédécesseur,
Joseph Mindszenty, un farouche opposant au régime en place. La mort de Zoltan
Meszlenyi avait été annoncée trois ans plus tard, et ses cendres ont été
enterrées en secret en 1966 dans la cathédrale d'Esztergom. Zoltan Meszlenyi,
dont la béatification a été approuvée par le pape Benoît XVI en juillet 2009,
est le 28e citoyen hongrois à être béatifié.
(source: Eglise orthodoxe russe en France)
Voir aussi: le site de l'Eglise
catholique en Hongrie (en hongrois) et sa biographie (en anglais)
SOURCE :
http://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/11156/Bienheureux-Zoltan-Ludvik-Meszlenyi.html
Bienheureux Meszlényi Zoltán Lajos
Bienheureux Meszlényi Zoltán Lajos
Évêque hongrois d’Esztergom
Fête le 4 mars
Hatvan, Heves, Hongrie, 2 janvier 1892 – † Kistarcsa, Gödöllői, Hongrie, 4
mars 1951
Béatifié le 31 octobre 2009 par le pape Benoît XVI
Le martyre d’un évêque hongrois, le serviteur de Dieu Zoltan Ludvik
Meszlènyi, tué en haine de la foi à Kistárcsa, sous le régime communiste
soviétique, en 1951.
Béatification
d'un ancien évêque hongrois victime du communisme
Zoltan Meszlenyi, un évêque hongrois mort sous la torture du régime
communiste en 1951, a été béatifié samedi, devenant ainsi le premier prêtre
hongrois victime du stalinisme à recevoir cet honneur, a annoncé à Budapest le
cardinal Peter Erdo.
"Il est le premier religieux victime des persécutions staliniennes a être
béatifié", a déclaré le cardinal dans la cathédrale d'Esztergom, le siège
de l'église catholique hongroise.
Zoltan Meszlenyi avait été emprisonné et torturé à mort en 1951 sur les ordres
du dictateur stalinien hongrois Matyas Rakosi pour avoir pris la tête de
l'église catholique hongroise après l'emprisonnement de son prédécesseur,
Joseph Mindszenty, un farouche opposant au régime en place.
La mort de Zoltan Meszlenyi avait été annoncée trois ans plus tard, et ses
cendres ont été enterrées en secret en 1966 dans la cathédrale d'Esztergom.
Zoltan Meszlenyi, dont la béatification a été approuvée par le pape Benoit XVI
en juillet dernier, est le 28ème citoyen hongrois à être béatifié.
Le nom de Joseph Mindszenty figure aussi une une liste de Hongrois qui
attendent que leur béatification soit approuvée par le pape
Huit
martyrs des tragédies du XXe siècle bientôt béatifiés :
Le
7 juillet 2009
Six Espagnols,
victimes de la guerre civile, un prêtre allemand, victime du nazisme, et un
évêque hongrois, tué sous le régime communiste seront bientôt déclarés «
martyrs ».
Le pape Benoît XVI vient d’approuver la publication de quatre décrets de la congrégation pour les causes des saints reconnaissant qu’ils ont été tués en haine de la foi, et sont ainsi morts martyrs.
Ces décrets concernent : le Père José Samsó i Elías, espagnol, victime de la persécution anti-catholique qui a accompagné la guerre civile, tué en 1936. Le Père Teófilo Fernández de Legaria Goñi, dans le siècle Benjamín, tué dans les mêmes circonstances, ainsi que ses quatre compagnons de la Congrégation des Sacrés Coeurs, également tués en haine de la foi en 1936.
Un décret reconnaît le martyre de Georg Häfner, prêtre allemand, mort le 20 août 1942 dans le camp de concentration de Dachau, où il a été tué en haine de la foi. Il avait toujours refusé le salut hitlérien et avait pour cela été repéré par la Gestapo. Mais l’origine de son arrestation est d’avoir apporté les derniers sacrements à un membre du parti nazi et de l’avoir reconduit à Dieu et à l’Eglise catholique, avant sa mort, et d’en avoir raconté l’exemple à ses paroissiens, en chaire, le dimanche suivant.
Le quatrième décret reconnaît le martyre d’un évêque hongrois, Zoltan Ludvik Meszlènyi, tué en haine de la foi à Kistárcsa, sous le régime communiste soviétique, en 1951.
SOURCE : http://www.aed-france.org/actualite/huit-martyrs-des-tragedies-du-xxe-siecle-bientot-beatifies/
Blessed Zoltán Lajos
Meszlényi
Competent forum: Esztergom-Budapest
Competent bishop: Cardinal Péter Erdő, primate and archbishop
Postulator: János Szőke SDB
Diocesan inquiry: 18 October 2004 – 23 January 2005
Postulator (CCS): Andrea Ambrosi
Decree on validity of diocesan inquiry: 7 December 2007
Promulgation of decree on martyrdom: 3 July 2009
Official prayer of the Mass (opening prayer)
Office of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest
1014 Budapest, Úri u. 62.
Nel 1950, in contrasto con il volere governativo, i canonici della cattedrale di Esztergom-Budapest elessero il Servo di Dio come nuovo Vicario capitolare, riconoscendone la rettitudine e la fermezza. Mons. Meszlényi, pur consapevole dei rischi, accettò la nomina con prontezza e disponibilità. La repressione del regime non si fece attendere. Dieci giorni dopo, il vescovo venne arrestato e, senza alcun processo, fu internato nello stabilimento penale di Recsk e poi deportato nel campo di concentramento di Kistarcsa, presso Budapest, in isolamento. Iniziarono così otto mesi di crudele prigionia, fatta di mancanza di cibo e riscaldamento, inasprita dal lavoro forzato e da violenze e torture indicibili, di cui sono maestri gli oppressori di ogni tempo. Dinanzi al dilemma ‘fedeltà-tradimento’, il Servo di Dio confermò con fortezza la sua fedeltà al Vangelo, vivendo la perversità degli eventi, fiducioso nella misericordia e nella provvidenza divina. Sopportò tutto con amore. Morì sfinito di stenti il 4 marzo 1951. La prigionia disumana lo aveva letteralmente ucciso. II movente del suo martirio fu l’ “odium fidei”, l’odio dei carnefici nei confronti di Gesù, del Vangelo, della Chiesa. E’ il mistero del male che genera odio, lasciando una scia di morte, distruzione e dolore indicibile.
Appena si seppe la notizia della sua morte, coloro che lo avevano conosciuto videro nella vicenda di mons. Meszlényi il sigillo del martirio. II regime ostacolò in tutti i modi la possibilità di svolgere ricerche e approfondimenti. Ma, come si sa, la menzogna non può vincere a lungo sulla verità. Dopo la caduta del regime la verità si affermò in tutta la sua evidenza per la molteplice testimonianza di documenti e di persone.
Ancora oggi la Chiesa è una Chiesa di martiri, cioè di testimoni forti e coraggiosi del Vangelo. Il martire cristiano ha una ben precisa qualifica. Viene ucciso, non uccide. Viene ucciso per odio nei confronti di Gesù e del suo Vangelo di vita e di verità. Ma la sua risposta non è l’odio ma l’amore, non è la vendetta, ma il perdono, non è il risentimento ma la preghiera per gli stessi persecutori e carnefici. E’ questa la grande lezione di vita che mons. Meszlényi lascia a noi oggi.
Autore: Mons. Angelo Amato
Blessed Zoltán Lajos
Meszlényi
Profile
Second of five children in a devoutly Catholic family; his father was a school teacher and principal. Graduated from a Benedictine high school in Esztergom, Hungary in 1909. With the support of Cardinal Kolos Vaszary, Zoltán then a studied in Rome, Italy at the Collegium Germanico-Hungaricum and Pontifical Gregorian University where he earned a doctorates in philosophy in 1912, theology in 1913 and a degree in canon law. Forced to leave Italy at the start of World War II, he finished his studies in Innsbruck, Austria, and was ordained there on on 28 October 1915.
Chaplain of Komárom,
Hungary. Assigned several administrative tasks and positions at the archdiocese office Esztergom from 1917 to 1937. Auxiliary Bishop of Esztergom, Hungary and Titular Bishop of Sinope on 22 September 1937. Worked to keep the see functioning as the archbishop and other officers were imprisoned in the anti–Christian persecutions of the Hungaian Communists. On 29 June 1950 it was Zoltán’s turn; he was imprisoned, isolated, tortured, starved, abused, and set to forced labour until his health was finally destroyed. Martyr.
Born
- 3 July 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI (decree of martyrdom)
- 1 November 2009 by Pope Benedict XVI
- recognition Mass celebrated in the cathedral of Esztergom, Hungary
Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi
Bishop and
martyr
Official memorial: 4 March
Zoltán
Meszlényi was born on 2 January 1892 in Hatvan. His parents were both teachers,
who moved to Hungary from Rimavská Sobota. Zoltán went to school in Rimavská
Sobota, then in Budapest. He took his secondary school leaving exam in the
minor seminary of Esztergom in 1909. Cardinal Kolos Vaszary recognized his
talents and offered him a scholarship in Rome. The talented young man graduated
from the Pontifical Gregorian University with a degree in canon law in 1915. In
the same year (on 28 October 1915), he was ordained priest with age concession
in Innsbruck. He first served as a curate in Komárom for a short time, then
Cardinal János Csernoch called him to Esztergom.
From 1917
Blessed Zoltán was keeper of the archiepiscopal archives and master of
ceremonies, from 1920 secretary of the archbishop and notary of the Holy See.
After the death of János Csernoch in 1927, he became a reliable and loyal
collaborator of Cardinal Jusztinián Serédi, who appointed him head of the
archbishop's office and prebendary, and when the see of the auxiliary bishop of
Esztergom became vacant, he considered him the most suitable candidate. He was
consecrated bishop on 28 October 1937. His episcopal motto perfectly reflected
his character: "Fidenter ac fideliter", that is, "With
confidence and fidelity". Being an excellent canon lawyer, he also
became a professor of the Archiepiscopal Academy of Law of Eger.
After the
death of Jusztinián Serédi, he continued to serve the diocese with the same
dedication. The new cardinal, József Mindszenty confirmed him in all of his
positions and entrusted him with additional tasks. After Cardinal Mindszenty's
arrest, canon and general vicar János Drahos governed the archdiocese of
Esztergom until his death on 15 June 1950. The chapter summoned after the
funeral elected auxiliary bishop Zoltán Meszlényi to succeed him. On the
occasion of his inaugural as chapter vicar, Bishop Meszlényi wrote a circular
letter, in which he expressed the principle of his actions in the following
words: "As a faithful pastor of Christ, I have never denied the faith
and the fidelity to our Church." This sentence anticipated his
destiny: knowing his life and spirituality, everyone knew that he would never
bargain with the atheistic state.
On 29 June
1950, two weeks after his election as vicar, he was arrested. There was no
legal proceeding and no judgement. We only know what happened to him afterwards
from the recollections of some of his surviving fellow prisoners. Zoltán
Meszlényi was detained for a short time in the Budapest detention centre, then
transferred to the intern camp in Kistarcsa. There he was separated from the
rest of the prisoners in a room with no windows, where freezing temperatures in
the winter and scorching temperatures in the summer made the prisoner’s life
unbearable. His wards maltreated him and he did not receive his necessary
medications. After long suffering, the dead body of the bishop was taken to the
hospital in Mosony Street on 4 March 1951. He was buried in the new public
cemetery of Rákoskeresztúr on 10 March. His death was registered later. On 22
June 1966 his remains were exhumed and placed in the crypt of the Esztergom
Basilica.
His process
of beatification was promoted by Cardinal Péter Erdő in 2004. On the occasion
of his beatification, the relic of the bishop and martyr was placed in the
side-altar of Saint Adalbert.
CCS protocol
number: 2619
Diocesan
inquiry
Competent forum: Esztergom-Budapest
Competent bishop: Cardinal Péter Erdő, primate and archbishop
Postulator: János Szőke SDB
Diocesan inquiry: 18 October 2004 – 23 January 2005
Inquiry of
the Holy See (CCS)
Postulator (CCS): Andrea Ambrosi
Decree on validity of diocesan inquiry: 7 December 2007
Promulgation of decree on martyrdom: 3 July 2009
Beatification: 31 October 2009, Esztergom
Let us pray
for his canonization!
Official prayer of the Mass (opening prayer)
Almighty
God, you rewarded the apostolic zeal of
bishop and martyr Zoltán with the crown of glory.
Grant that we may follow his example
and courageously profess your name.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
bishop and martyr Zoltán with the crown of glory.
Grant that we may follow his example
and courageously profess your name.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Those who
obtain favours through his intercession are asked to notify the
Office of the Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest
1014 Budapest, Úri u. 62.
More
information:
http://www.esztergomi-ersekseg.hu/
http://www.esztergomi-ersekseg.hu/
Hungarian bishop who defied Stalinist persecution beatified
.-
On October 31, the Church beatified Bishop Zoltán Lajos
Meszlényi, a victim of the Communist persecution of the Catholic Church in
Hungary. The beatification was scheduled shortly after Pope Benedict approved a
decree verifying the martyrdom of the bishop, who died in 1951.
Cardinal
Péter Erdő, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and Primate of Hungary, presided
over the Mass and beatification of Bishop Zoltán Lajos Meszlényi on Saturday at
the Basilica of Esztergom. During the Mass, the cardinal emphasized that the
“mission of Christians is to announce Jesus Christ even if they are
persecuted,” adding that Bishop Meszlényi “is an example of witness by a person
fortified by the Holy Spirit.”
Cardinal Erdő explained that Bishop Zoltán Meszlényi’s
life and death are exemplary for his time, in which many kept silent for fear
of losing their jobs, homes, families, and lives. Blessed Meszlényi’s teaching
is still very timely today when we feel “trapped by our individual and common
selfishness, short-sightedness, thirst for power, hatred, ’ a trap that we are
unable to free ourselves from using our own strength.”
According to Magyar Kurír, a Catholic news organization
in Central Europe, Bishop Meszlényi was an exemplary priest who led a life of
service to the Church. Having studied in Rome at the Gregorian University as
part of his education at the Pontifical German-Hungarian Institute, Blessed
Meszlényi became fluent in Italian, French, English, German, Latin and Greek,
in addition to his native Hungarian. His studies led him to a degree in canon
law as well as diplomas in philosophy and theology.
Despite the excellence of education and his incredible
intellect, Blessed Meszlényi was known as a very down to earth man. He did not
mind being alone and was very humble, not even considering himself to be a
candidate to replace Cardinal József Mindszenty who had been arrested and
sentenced to life in prison. He was also known for his strict but loving
treatment of the priests in his diocese, encouraging them to always become
better, more faithful servants of the Church.
However, Blessed Meszlényi would not back down when
confronted by the Communists. The Church in Hungary faced many difficulties
when the country gained its independence from the Hapsburg empire, as well as
when the borders of many Eastern European countries were re-drawn after WWI,
which caused the geographical area of one diocese to be located in two different
countries.
The presence of the Communists, as well as Russia’s invasion, which put the
country behind the Iron Curtain, also presented the Church with difficulties,
as the Communists tried to seize Hungary's Catholic schools and influence the
election of bishops. Blessed Meszlényi quickly became an enemy of the
Communists when it became known that he was not afraid of the threat of force.
Meszlényi was appointed bishop, however only two weeks
after his episcopal ordination, the communist authorities took the
newly-appointed bishop and he was never heard from again.
Magyar Kurír also explains that as was the custom, the
communists were very secretive about their persecution of the Church so they
wouldn’t create any martyrs whose stories of standing up for their faith would
inspire others. Thus, no one heard from the bishop after his arrest, and there
are no documents to show where he was detained, how he was tortured, of what he
was accused, or how he died. Nevertheless, based on accounts of other priests
who also suffered Stalinist repression, it was concluded that his martyrdom was
preceded by imprisonment and common tortures which included solitary
confinement, physical beatings, psychological torture, unheated jail cells
without windowpanes, and no access to medical treatment.
Asking for the intercession of Blessed Zoltán Meszlényi,
Cardinal Erdő concluded: “Pray for us all so the renewal of the hearts may help
the world around us become better and happier and may lead as many people as
possible to Christ."
SOURCE : http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/hungarian_bishop_who_defied_stalinist_persecution_beatified/
Beato Zoltan Lajos Meszlenyi
Vescovo e martire
2 gennaio 1892 - 4 marzo 1951
Zoltán
Lajos nacque il 2 gennaio 1892 in una famiglia di solida tradizione cattolica. Chiamato al sacerdozio, conseguì presso la Pontificia Università
Gregoriana il dottorato in Filosofia e in Teologia e il baccalaureato in
Diritto Canonico. II 28 ottobre 1937 fu ordinato vescovo e nominato ausiliare
dell’arcidiocesi di Esztergom in Ungheria. La sua preparazione e il suo zelo pastorale gli
permisero una notevole operosità pastorale e culturale. Subito dopo la seconda
Guerra Mondiale, il regime comunista ungherese iniziò a infierire contro la
Chiesa cattolica, applicando nei suoi confronti forme di intolleranza che
sfociarono spesso in momenti di persecuzione violenta e sanguinaria. Evento emblematico di questo periodo di terrore e di vera e propria
oppressione fu l’arresto del Primate d’Ungheria, l’arcivescovo Jozsef
Mindszenty.
Nel 1950, in contrasto con il volere governativo, i canonici della cattedrale di Esztergom-Budapest elessero il Servo di Dio come nuovo Vicario capitolare, riconoscendone la rettitudine e la fermezza. Mons. Meszlényi, pur consapevole dei rischi, accettò la nomina con prontezza e disponibilità. La repressione del regime non si fece attendere. Dieci giorni dopo, il vescovo venne arrestato e, senza alcun processo, fu internato nello stabilimento penale di Recsk e poi deportato nel campo di concentramento di Kistarcsa, presso Budapest, in isolamento. Iniziarono così otto mesi di crudele prigionia, fatta di mancanza di cibo e riscaldamento, inasprita dal lavoro forzato e da violenze e torture indicibili, di cui sono maestri gli oppressori di ogni tempo. Dinanzi al dilemma ‘fedeltà-tradimento’, il Servo di Dio confermò con fortezza la sua fedeltà al Vangelo, vivendo la perversità degli eventi, fiducioso nella misericordia e nella provvidenza divina. Sopportò tutto con amore. Morì sfinito di stenti il 4 marzo 1951. La prigionia disumana lo aveva letteralmente ucciso. II movente del suo martirio fu l’ “odium fidei”, l’odio dei carnefici nei confronti di Gesù, del Vangelo, della Chiesa. E’ il mistero del male che genera odio, lasciando una scia di morte, distruzione e dolore indicibile.
Appena si seppe la notizia della sua morte, coloro che lo avevano conosciuto videro nella vicenda di mons. Meszlényi il sigillo del martirio. II regime ostacolò in tutti i modi la possibilità di svolgere ricerche e approfondimenti. Ma, come si sa, la menzogna non può vincere a lungo sulla verità. Dopo la caduta del regime la verità si affermò in tutta la sua evidenza per la molteplice testimonianza di documenti e di persone.
Ancora oggi la Chiesa è una Chiesa di martiri, cioè di testimoni forti e coraggiosi del Vangelo. Il martire cristiano ha una ben precisa qualifica. Viene ucciso, non uccide. Viene ucciso per odio nei confronti di Gesù e del suo Vangelo di vita e di verità. Ma la sua risposta non è l’odio ma l’amore, non è la vendetta, ma il perdono, non è il risentimento ma la preghiera per gli stessi persecutori e carnefici. E’ questa la grande lezione di vita che mons. Meszlényi lascia a noi oggi.
Autore: Mons. Angelo Amato
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