Bienheureux János
Scheffler
Évêque roumain, martyr du
communisme (+ 1952)
János Scheffler (1887 - 1952), évêque roumain de Satu Mare, mort à Bucarest, sous le régime communiste, a été béatifié en 2011.
Né en 1887 dans ce qui est alors la Hongrie, entré en 1905 au séminaire de Satu Mare, János Scheffler a effectué des études de théologie à Budapest avant d'être ordonné prêtre en 1910... Évêque de Satu Mare en 1942, il doit faire face aux persécutions communistes contre l'Église... Emprisonné à Jilava et soumis aux travaux forcés, à toute sorte d'humiliations, à des tortures, il sut 'transformer cette expérience de douleur en occasion d'apostolat, de catéchèse, et de prière' (cardinal Amato lors de la cérémonie de béatification)... Il tint bon et mourut le 6 décembre 1952, en priant et en pardonnant à ses assassins... (d'après 'Mgr János Scheffler a été béatifié en Roumanie' - La Croix)
A l'issue de l'Angélus du 3 juillet 2011, Benoît XVI: je m'unis à la joie de
l'Église en Roumanie, en particulier de la Communauté Satu Mare, où aujourd'hui
est proclamé bienheureux János Scheffler, qui fut évêque de ce diocèse et
mourut martyr en 1952. Que son témoignage soutienne toujours la foi de ceux qui
le rappellent avec affection, ainsi que des nouvelles générations.
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/12733/Bienheureux-Janos-Scheffler.html
Bienheureux János
Scheffler
Évêque roumain de Satu Mare
Martyr du communisme
Janos Scheffler naît
en 1887 à Kalmand, alors situé en Hongrie, dans une famille de paysans pauvres.
Après ses études de séminaire il fut ordonné en 1910 et envoyé à Rome pour se
spécialiser dans le Droit Canon. En 1942, il fut nommé évêque de Satmar, dont
le nom a été changé en Satu Mare à la fin de la Première Guerre Mondiale,
lorsque la ville a été incluse dans le territoire Roumain.
Durant la Seconde Guerre
Mondiale, il a aidé de nombreux réfugiés à fuir les horreurs de la guerre ; il
était connu pour porter assistance à la population juive du diocèse qui se
trouvait le plus gravement en danger.
Lorsqu’à la fin de la
guerre le régime communiste s’efforça d’instituer une église fidèle au régime
et schismatique à l’égard de Rome, Mgr Scheffler s’y opposa ; il fut arrêté et
traduit en justice. Condamné aux travaux forcés dans un camp de prisonniers, il
meurt, le 6 décembre 1952, des tortures qu’on lui faisait endurer, en priant et
en pardonnant à ses assassins.
Le 3 juillet
2011, une cérémonie de béatification a eu lieu à Satu Mare,
Transylvanie, Roumanie. La messe solennelle était présidée par le Cardinal
Peter Erdo, évêque de Hongrie, et par le Cardinal Angelo Amato, Préfet de la
Congrégation pour la cause des Saints, qui représentait le Pape Benoît XVI
(Joseph Ratzinger, 2005-2013).
BENOÎT XVI
ANGÉLUS
Place Saint-Pierre
Dimanche 3 juillet 2011
Chers frères et sœurs,
Aujourd’hui, dans
l’Évangile, le Seigneur Jésus nous rappelle ces paroles que nous connaissons
bien, mais qui nous émeuvent toujours : « Venez à moi, vous tous qui peinez
sous le poids du fardeau, et moi, je vous procurerai le repos. Prenez sur vous
mon joug, devenez mes disciples, car je suis doux et humble de cœur, et vous
trouverez le repos. Oui, mon joug est facile à porter, et mon fardeau, léger »
(Mt 11, 28-30). Quand Jésus parcourait les routes de Galilée annonçant le
Royaume de Dieu et guérissant de nombreux malades, il ressentait de la
compassion pour les foules, parce qu’elles étaient fatiguées et épuisées, comme
« des brebis sans berger » (cf. Mt 9, 35-36). Ce regard de Jésus
semble se prolonger jusqu’à aujourd’hui, jusqu’à notre monde. Aujourd’hui
encore, il se pose sur tant de personnes oppressées par des conditions de vie
difficiles mais aussi dépourvues de points de référence valides pour trouver un
sens et un but à leur existence. Des multitudes épuisées se trouvent dans les
pays les plus pauvres, éprouvées par l’indigence ; et dans les pays les plus
riches aussi, il y a tant d’hommes et de femmes insatisfaits, et même malades
de dépression. Nous pensons aux nombreux réfugiés et déplacés, à ceux qui
émigrent en mettant leur vie en danger. Le regard du Christ se pose sur toutes
ces personnes, et même sur chacun de ces enfants de son Père qui est aux cieux
et il répète : « Venez à moi, vous tous… ».
Jésus promet de donner à
tous le « repos » mais pose une condition : « Prenez sur vous mon joug et
apprenez de moi, car je suis doux et humble de cœur ». Qu’est-ce que ce «joug»
qui au lieu de peser soulage, et au lieu d’écraser soutient ? Le « joug » du
Christ, c’est la loi de l’amour, et son commandement, qu’il a laissé à ses
disciples (cf. Jn 13, 34 ; 15, 12). Le vrai remède aux blessures de
l’humanité — matérielles comme la faim et les injustices, ou psychologiques et
morales, provoquées par un faux bien-être — est une règle de vie fondée sur
l’amour fraternel, qui a sa source dans l’amour de Dieu. Pour cela, il faut
abandonner le chemin de l’arrogance de la violence utilisée pour se procurer
des positions de pouvoir toujours plus grand, pour s’assurer le succès à tout
prix. À l’égard de l’environnement aussi, il faut renoncer au style agressif qui
a dominé ces derniers siècles et adopter une « douceur » raisonnable. Mais
surtout, dans les rapports humains, interpersonnels, sociaux, la règle du
respect et de la non-violence, c’est-à-dire de la force de la vérité, contre
tout abus de pouvoir, est celle qui peut assurer un avenir digne de l’homme.
Chers amis, nous avons
célébré hier une mémoire liturgique particulière de la Très Sainte Vierge
Marie, en louant Dieu pour son Cœur Immaculé. Que la Vierge nous aide à «
apprendre » de Jésus la vraie humilité, à prendre avec décision son joug léger,
pour faire l’expérience de la paix intérieure, et devenir à notre tour capables
de consoler d’autres frères et sœurs qui avancent péniblement sur le chemin de
la vie.
À l'issue de l'Angélus
Chers frères et sœurs, je
m’unis à la joie de l’Église en Roumanie, en particulier de la Communauté Satu
Mare, où aujourd’hui est proclamé bienheureux János Scheffler, qui fut
évêque de ce diocèse et mourut martyr en 1952. Que son témoignage soutienne
toujours la foi de ceux qui le rappellent avec affection, ainsi que des
nouvelles générations.
Chers pèlerins
francophones, de façon providentielle, alors que pour beaucoup débutent les
vacances, les textes de ce dimanche nous orientent vers le repos et la
sérénité. Il ne s’agit pas de partir en repos pour partir, mais bien de vivre
d’une façon nouvelle nos relations avec nos proches, avec Dieu, en prenant du
temps pour cela. Jésus nous invite à venir à Lui, à nous confier à Lui. La foi
en sa présence nous apporte la sérénité de celui qui se sait toujours aimé du
Père. Faisons une large place à la lecture de la Parole de Dieu,
particulièrement de l’Évangile que vous ne manquerez pas de mettre dans vos
bagages de vacances ! Bon pèlerinage à tous !
Je souhaite à tous un bon
dimanche et un bon mois de juillet. Au cours des prochains jours je quitterai
le Vatican pour me rendre à Castel Gandolfo. C’est de là, si Dieu le veut, que
je guiderai l’Angélus de dimanche prochain. Merci ! Bon dimanche et bonne
semaine à tous.
© Copyright 2011 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
SOURCE : http://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/fr/angelus/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20110703.html
Le pape évoque le
bienheureux János Scheffler, évêque et martyr
Béatifié samedi matin en
Roumanie
JUILLET 03, 2011
00:00 REDACTIONÉGLISE
CATHOLIQUE
ROME, Dimanche 3 juillet
2011 (ZENIT.org)
– Benoît XVI évoque la figure du bienheureux János Scheffler, évêque roumain de
Satu Mare, mort martyr du communisme en 1952 à Bucarest, à l’âge de 65 ans.
« Je m’unis à la
joie de l’Eglise en Roumanie, et en particulier de la communauté de Statu
Mare » où Janos Scheffler a été proclamé bienheureux samedi matin lors de
la célébration eucharistique présidée par le cardinal Angelo Amato, préfet de
la Congrégation pour les causes des saints et envoyé de Benoît XVI.
« Que son témoignage
soutienne toujours la foi de ceux qui font mémoire de lui avec affection et
celle des nouvelles générations », a dit Benoît XVI après l’angélus de ce
dimanche.
La persécution communiste
contre l’Eglise catholique se durcit à partir de 1947 : « Le régime, a
expliqué le cardinal Amato à Radio Vatican, voulait casser les relations avec
le Saint-Siège et créer une Eglise sans le pape en forçant les catholiques à
devenir orthodoxes ».
Cette haine de la foi se
déchaîna contre les prêtres et contre les évêques. Mgr Scheffler fut emprisonné
à Jilava et soumis aux travaux forcés, à toute sorte d’humiliations, à des
tortures (des douches bouillantes), mais il sut « transformer cette
expérience de douleur en occasion d’apostolat, de catéchèse, et de
prière », a ajouté le cardinal Amato.
Le régime lui proposa de
devenir « patriarche de Roumanie » s’il acceptait de passer à
l’Eglise orthodoxe : il tint bon. Il mourut le 6 décembre 1952, en priant
et en pardonnant à ses assassins.
Anita S. Bourdin
JUILLET 03, 2011 00:00ÉGLISE
CATHOLIQUE
SOURCE : https://fr.zenit.org/articles/le-pape-evoque-le-bienheureux-janos-scheffler-eveque-et-martyr/
Mgr János Scheffler
a été béatifié en Roumanie
Avec Radio Vatican et
Zenit,
le 04/07/2011 à
16:05
L’évêque roumain János
Scheffler a été proclamé bienheureux dimanche 3 juillet à Satu Mare (nord de la
Roumanie), ville dont il avait été évêque de 1942 jusqu’à sa mort comme martyr
en 1952 à Bucarest.
Plusieurs milliers de
fidèles ont participé à la messe présidée par le cardinal Angelo Amato, préfet
de la Congrégation des causes des saints, en présence de nombreux évêques
latins et gréco-catholiques de Roumanie.
Né en 1887 dans ce qui
est alors la Hongrie, entré en 1905 au séminaire de Satu Mare, János Scheffler
a effectué des études de théologie à Budapest avant d’être ordonné prêtre en
1910 puis d’effectuer ses études de droit canonique à Rome.
Après la Première guerre
mondiale, la Transylvanie étant intégrée à la Roumanie, il apprend le roumain
pour pouvoir prêcher et confesser et fait preuve d’une intense activité
apostolique.
Le régime lui a proposé
de devenir « patriarche de Roumanie »
Évêque de Satu Mare en 1942,
il doit faire face aux persécutions communistes contre l’Église. Comme l’a
expliqué le cardinal Amato sur Radio Vatican, « le régime voulait casser les
relations avec le Saint-Siège et créer une Église sans pape en forçant les
catholiques à devenir orthodoxes ».
Emprisonné à Jilava et
soumis aux travaux forcés, à toute sorte d’humiliations, à des tortures (des
douches bouillantes), il sut « transformer cette expérience de douleur en
occasion d’apostolat, de catéchèse, et de prière », a ajouté le cardinal Amato.
Le régime lui proposa de
devenir « patriarche de Roumanie » s’il acceptait de passer à l’Église
orthodoxe : il tint bon et mourut le 6 décembre 1952, en priant et en
pardonnant à ses assassins.
Depuis Rome, lors de la
prière de l’Angelus, Benoît XVI a salué la mémoire du nouveau bienheureux. «
Que son témoignage soutienne toujours la foi de ceux qui font mémoire de lui
avec affection et celle des nouvelles générations », a souligné le pape.
Bienheureux János
Scheffler
LA GLOIRE ET LE MÉPRIS
Szatmár (Satu Mare,
Roumanie) se trouve dans l’Empire austro-hongrois lorsque János Scheffler
(1887-1952) voit le jour. Il ne devient citoyen roumain qu’après le traité du
Trianon, en 1920. Après ses études à Budapest, il est envoyé à Rome faire du
droit canon. À la déclaration de guerre en 1914, il enseigne au séminaire de
Szatmár. En 1925, il est nommé évêque de Satu Mare, puis, en 1945, de Győr
(Hongrie) où il ne résidera jamais. Dès l’instauration du régime soviétique, il
s’élève contre le nouveau pouvoir, s’insurgeant contre la déportation des
populations d’origine allemande vers la Russie, ou réclamant la libération d’un
évêque grec-catholique. Il est arrêté en même temps que tous les évêques
catholiques, en 1950. Il refuse une nomination dans l’Église nationale soumise
au régime, et meurt après avoir été ébouillanté dans la prison de Jilava, à
Bucarest.
Ton disciple bien-aimé
s’est penché sur ta poitrine, Seigneur, et à sa suite János a puisé sa force
dans ton cœur aimant.
Temps de silence
Accorde-nous par
l’intercession du bienheureux János Scheffler de ne jamais douter de ton amour
plus fort que la mort.
SOURCE : https://francais.magnificat.net/magnificat_content/bienheureux-jnos-scheffler/
Bienheureux János Scheffler
Évêque et Martyr
János Scheffler naquit le 29 octobre 1887 à Kálmánd, dans l' empire
austro-hongrois. En 1906 il a commencé ses études théologiques au collège à
Budapest. et fut ordonné prêtre en 1910.
Il fonda un collège d'études théologiques en 1922. En 1942 il fut nommé évêque de Satu Mare.
Les vocations devinrent alors sa principale préoccupation et il fonda
«l'Opus Vocationum Ecclesiasticum».
Placé en résidence surveillée le 23 mai 1950, lors de problèmes politiques en Roumanie,
Il refusa de devenir évêque dans une église nationale soumise au régime et fut
emprisonné pour cette raison le 19 mars 1952.
Il mourut à la prison de Jilava dans la matinée du 6 décembre 1952 où il fut
torturé après qu'on lui ait versé dessus de l'eau bouillante.
Il repose dans la cathédrale de Satu Mare depuis 1965, grâce à un prêtre
orthodoxe qui avait noté l'emplacement de son ensevelissement dans une tombe
anonyme.
Le processus de sa béatification a commencé le 12 décembre 1991 sous le pape Jean-Paul
II après que la Congrégation pour les Causes des Saints ait publié le « nihil
obstat » officiel et a institué Mgr Scheffler Serviteur de Dieu. Le pape
Benoît XVI a confirmé le 1er juillet 2010 que Scheffler avait été tué en
haine de la foi et approuvé sa béatification que le cardinal Angelo Amato a
célébrée le 3 juillet 2011 dans son diocèse de Satu Mare.
Les procès de béatification et de canonisation, critères, procédures et
signification.
http://charismata.free.fr/?p=3581
SAINTS DU 6 DECEMBRE
http://charismata.free.fr/?p=3581
Que Jésus Miséricordieux vous bénisse
ami de la Miséricorde
SOURCE : http://viens-seigneur-jesus.forumactif.com/t28957-6-decembre-bienheureux-janos-scheffler
.jpg)
Profile
Ordained on 6 July 1910. Bishop of Satu
Mare, Romania on 26 March 1942. Martyr.
Born
29
October 1887 in
Camin, Diocese of Satu
Mare, Hungary (in
modern Romania)
6
December 1952 in
Bucharest, Romania
1 July 2010 by Pope Benedict
XVI (decree of martyrdom)
1 July 2011 by Pope Benedict
XVI
Additional
Information
other
sites in english
images
fonti
in italiano
Dicastero delle Cause dei Santi
MLA
Citation
“Blessed János
Scheffler“. CatholicSaints.Info. 11 July 2023. Web. 6 December 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-janos-scheffler/>
SOURCE : https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-janos-scheffler/
BENEDICT XVI
ANGELUS
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
In the Gospel today the
Lord Jesus repeats to us the words that we know so well but that never fail to
move us: “Come to me, all who labour and are heavily laden, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light” (Mt 11:28-30).
As Jesus went along the
roads of Galilee proclaiming the Kingdom of God and healing many sick people,
“he had compassion on the crowds, for they were harassed and helpless, like
sheep without a shepherd” (cf. Mt 9:35-36).
Jesus’ gaze seems to
extend to this day, to our world. Today, too, it rests on so many people
oppressed by difficult living conditions and lacking valid reference points to
find a meaning and a purpose for their existence. Exhausted multitudes are
found in the poorest countries, harshly tried by poverty; and even in the
richer countries there are numerous dissatisfied men and women who are even ill
with depression. Let us think of the many evacuees and refugees, of all those
who emigrate, putting their own lives at risk. Christ's gaze then rests his
gaze upon all these people, indeed upon each one of these children of the
Father who is in Heaven and repeats: “Come to me, all...” of you.
Jesus promised he would
give everyone “rest”, but on one condition: “Take my yoke upon you, and learn
from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart”. What is this “yoke” which
lightens instead of burdening, which instead of oppressing, uplifts? The “yoke”
of Christ is the law of love, it is his commandment which he bequeathed to his
disciples (cf. Jn 13:34; 15:12). The true remedy for humanity's wounds, both
material — such as hunger and injustice in all its forms — and psychological
and moral, caused by a false well-being, is a rule of life based on fraternal
love, whose source is in the love of God. For this reason it is necessary to
abandon the way of arrogance, of violence used to obtain ever more powerful
positions, to assure oneself of success at any price.
It is also necessary to
give up the aggressive attitude with regard to the environment which has
prevailed in recent centuries and to adopt a reasonable “gentleness”. However,
in human, interpersonal and social relations above all, the rule of respect and
of non-violence, namely, the power of the truth against every kind of abuse is
what can assure a future worthy of the human being.
Dear friends, yesterday
we celebrated a particular liturgical Memorial of Mary Most Holy, praising God
for her Immaculate Heart. May the Virgin help us to “learn” true humility from
Jesus, to take up his light yoke with determination, to experience inner peace
and to become in our turn capable of comforting other brothers and sisters who
are walking with difficulty on life's path.
After the Angelus :
Dear brothers and
sisters, I join in the joy of the Church in Romania, in particular of the
Community of Satu Mare where today János Scheffler is being beatified. He was
bishop of that diocese and died a martyr in 1952. May his witness always
sustain the faith of those who remember him with affection and that of the new
generations.
I am pleased to greet the
English-speaking visitors here today, especially the candidates for the
permanent diaconate from the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland, who are here with
their wives. In today's Gospel, Jesus invites all of us to come to him,
whatever burdens we may be carrying, whatever labours we may be engaged in,
because in him we will find rest. At this time of year when so many of you are
taking your annual holiday, I pray that you will truly find refreshment for
body and spirit and an opportunity to rest in the Lord. May God bestow his
blessings of joy and peace upon all of you, and upon your families and loved
ones at home.
I wish you all a good
Sunday and a good month of July. In the next few days I shall be leaving the
Vatican to go to Castel Gandolfo. From there, please God, I shall lead
the Angelus next Sunday. Thank you! Have a good Sunday and I wish you
all a good week.
© Copyright 2011 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Copyright © Dicastero per
la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
SOURCE : https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/angelus/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20110703.html
Beatification of a martyr
for the faith
Janos Scheffler was a
bishop in Transylvania who died in 1952 in a prison camp under Communist rule.
On July 3, 2011, a
beatification ceremony took place in Satu Mare (also know in the Jewish world
as Satmar), Transylvania, Rumania. The solemn mass was concelebrated by
Cardinal Peter Erdo, Primate of Hungary and Cardinal Angelo Amato, Prefect of
the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, who represented Pope Benedict XVI.
Janos Scheffler was born
in 1887 in Kalmand, then in Hungary into a poor peasant family. After his
studies for the priesthood he was ordained in 1910 and sent to Rome to
specialize in Canon Law. In 1942, he was named Bishop of Satmar, since the end
of the First World War part of Rumania and renamed Satu Mare.
During the Second World
War, he helped the many refugees fleeing the horrors of the war and was known
for his assistance to the Jewish population in the diocese who were especially
in danger.
When, at the end of the
war, the Communist regime in Rumania tried to create a Church faithful to the
regime and in schism with Rome, Bishop Scheffler resisted and he was arrested
and put on trial. Sentenced to hard labor in a prison camp, he died shortly
afterwards as a result of the tortures he was forced to endure.
The new blessed is an
inspiration for all those who still today are persecuted for their faith.
Romanian Catholic bishop
martyred by Communists beatified tomorrow
16 May, 2014
A Catholic bishop who was
starved and forced to stand naked in winter will be beatified as a martyr in
Romania, 63 years after dying of malnutrition in a communist prison.
The ceremony honoring
Bishop Anton Durcovici, who served as head of the Diocese of Iasi at the time
of his death, will take place tomorrow in the northeastern Romanian city’s
municipal stadium with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for
Saints’ Causes, presiding.
“This is a great joy for
the whole Catholic church here, and especially for his home-diocese,” said
Bishop Petru Gherghel of Iasi.
“But it’s important for
Romanian society as a whole, since he’s a figure of resistance, who gave an
example to everyone by standing up for truth, dignity and freedom, as well as
for devotion to the Christian faith,” the bishop told Catholic News Service
yesterday.
Bishop Durcovici will be
the first martyr from the Iasi Diocese to be declared blessed. Bishop Gherghel
said that the end of the lengthy process for canonization would reward and
encourage people still engaged in collecting documents and testimonies about
communist-era martyrs.
“He was also deeply
involved in educating and forming local people, so his fate teaches much about
courage and faithfulness to the end,” Bishop Gherghel said.
“Our country produced
many such witnesses and martyrs to the faith, who are still with us today –
speaking to us in our lives and giving us fortitude to face the future.”
Born May 17, 1888, in Bad
Deutsch-Altenberg, Austria, a town on the Danube River, the martyred bishop
moved to Romania with his widowed mother and brother as a child, and enrolled
at the Iasi seminary in 1906.
He gained degrees in
canon law, philosophy and theology and two doctorates while studying at Rome’s
Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, or Angelicum and serving with the
Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He returned to
Romania as a seminary teacher and parish administrator at his ordination in
1910.
Interned during the First
World War because of his Austrian citizenship, Bishop Durcovici was later freed
and became rector of the Catholic seminary in Bucharest in 1924.
In April 1948, he was
consecrated bishop of Iasi by the Vatican’s then-apostolic nuncio, Archbishop
Gerald P. O’Hara, two years before the U.S.-born diplomat was expelled by
Romania’s new communist regime.
In June 1949, Bishop
Durcovici was arrested by Romania’s Securitate secret police with Bishop Aron
Marton of Alba Iulia for refusing to omit references to papal authority from a
new regime-sponsored statute regulating church activities.
Held at the notorious
Jilava prison, Bishop Durcovici was transferred with other priests to Sighet
prison, where he was tortured and denied food and water and stripped in winter
weather.
Bishop Durcovici died of
malnutrition in his cell on December 10, 1951, and was buried in an unmarked
grave by communist officials, who attempted to erase all physical and
documentary evidence of his stay in prison.
Witness accounts on the
Iasi Diocese website said the bishop received final absolution through his cell
door from a priest after calling on other inmates to pray for him.
The accounts reported
different dates for the bishop’s death because of the total isolation of fellow
prisoners, including Cardinal Iuliu Hossu (1885-1970) and Archbishop Ioan
Ploscaru (1911-1998), although news of his deteriorating condition had been
leaked by a sympathetic warden.
In a May 1 pastoral
letter, Bishop Gherghel described the martyred bishop as a “flower of the local
church,” who had carried “the cross of salvation and redemption” through his
bitter sufferings.
Meanwhile, the current
Vatican nuncio, Archbishop Francisco-Javier Lozano, and Archbishop Ioan Robu of
Bucharest, president of the Romanian bishops’ conference, told Austria’s
Kathpress agency May 12 that they believed the beatification would assist
interchurch ties by recalling shared communist-era sufferings in Romania, 87
percent of whose 23 million inhabitants are nominally Orthodox.
Austrian church leaders,
and Catholics from the hometown of Bishop Durcovici are expected to attend the
beatification Mass.
The bishop will be the
fourth Romanian Catholic beatified as a communist-era martyr after Bishop
Szilard Bogdanffy (1911-1953); Bishop Janos Scheffler (1887-1952); and Bishop
Vladimir Ghika (1873-1954).
Blessed János Scheffler
Bishop and martyr
Official memorial: 17 May
János Scheffler was born
in Kálmánd (province of Satu Mare) in 1887 in a serf family of ten children. He
completed his secondary school studies at the Catholic grammar school of Satu
Mare, then attended the Faculty of Theology of the Pázmány Péter Catholic
University. He had excellent intellectual capacities and always had the best
grades.
After his priestly
ordination, which took place on 6 July 1910, he worked as a pastoral assistant
in Ciumești (a.k.a. Csomaköz) and Uzhhorod (a.k.a. Ungvár). He spent two years
in Rome, where he obtained his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical
Gregorian University in 1912. After his return to Hungary, he became a
professor of theology in Satu Mare (Szatmár); however, he continued his studies
in canon law in Budapest and, in 1915, he became a doctor of theology. He was a
teacher of religion at the Catholic grammar school of Satu Mare. Later on, he
reorganized the school and became its director. From 1923 to 1925 he was the
parish priest of Moftinu Mare (a.k.a. Nagymajtény). His bishop soon appointed
him professor of theology. He taught canon law and history of the Church in
Satu Mare, then in Oradea. In 1939 he became the spiritual director of the
seminary in Oradea. Following the merger of the dioceses of Satu Mare and
Oradea, he was asked to organize the common faculty of theology and the
seminary. At the same time, he also worked as a canon lawyer: he studied the
legal aspects of the autonomy of the Church and of the relationship between the
Church and the State. He also wrote several books of religion for secondary
school students and for groups of more educated Catholics. He drafted the Statutes
of the Sisters of Charity of Satu Mare and several writings for retreats,
whose manuscripts have been preserved. In 1940, he was appointed professor of
the department of canon law of the Franz Joseph University of Cluj.
In 1942 the Holy See
appointed him bishop of the diocese of Satu Mare and apostolic administrator of
Oradea. From 9 April 1948 he was bishop of the reunified diocese of Satu Mare
and Oradea. He continued to consider the promotion of priestly and religious
vocations as his principal task. Therefore, he established the Opus
Vocationum Ecclesiasticum, organized the pastoral care of vocations, and
set up minor seminaries in Satu Mare, Carei and Uzhhorod. As bishop, he
promoted the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He introduced the feast of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary (22 August). On the model of the year of prayer in
Hungary, in 1948 he proclaimed the year of Our Lady in his diocese.
During the war, he often
defended the persecuted: through his mediation, the Hungarian government
cancelled the internment of the Greek Catholic bishop of Baia Mare, Alexandru
Rusu, of Romanian nationality. He made every effort to help the people detained
in internment camps, especially the Jews. He managed to save his priests who
had been carried off by the SS with force. In January 1945, he personally
interceded with the Romanian lord lieutenant and the Soviet commander in order
to prevent the deportation of his faithful of German-Swabian origin. Sadly, he
did not succeed. As early as 1943, he pointed out the possible consequences of
the war and of an eventual atheist-communist rule, that is, persecution and
suffering; and he emphasized the need of sacrifice, expiation and reparation.
In 1945 Pope Pius XII appointed him successor of the bishop of Győr and martyr
Vilmos Apor. Nevertheless, he asked the Holy See to be able to remain in his
beloved diocese due to its difficult situation. The Holy See accepted his
petition.
In 1948, the Romanian
government terminated its agreement with the Vatican and dissolved the diocese
of Satu Mare by the new law on cultural activities. Bishop Scheffler was made
to retire and banned from exercising his episcopal ministry, and his closest
colleagues (Szilárd Bogdánffy, Károly Pakocs) were arrested. In 1950 he was
interned to the Franciscan convent in Baia de Criș (a.k.a. Körösbánya) because
he resisted the communists' efforts to separate the Romanian Catholic Church
from the Pope. He could have regained his freedom provided he had accepted the
role designed for him by the Romanian government: becoming bishop of the
diocese of Alba Iulia (a.k.a. Gyulafehérvár), i.e. the only Roman Catholic
diocese recognized by the State, and thus collaborating with the communist power.
He refused such a compromise, therefore he was arrested and the communists
started a trumped-up criminal proceeding against him. However, he did not live
to see his trial because he died on 6 December 1952 in the Jilava prison.
During his entire life he strove to find out and fulfil the will of God. He
professed the motto of Pope Pius X: Restore all things in Christ.
Both the priests and the
faithful regarded János Scheffler as a martyr, who suffered and died in prison,
under inhumane conditions, for Christ. Following the fall of communism, Pál
Reizer, who was consecrated and appointed bishop of the diocese of Satu Mare in
1990, fulfilled the request of the priests and the faithful by submitting the
petition for the initiation of János Scheffler's process of beatification.
CCS protocol
number: 1791
Diocesan inquiry
Competent forum: Episcopate of Satu Mare
Competent bishop: Diocesan bishops Pál Reizer and Jenő Schönberger
Postulator: János Szőke SDB
Diocesan inquiry: 8 December 1994 – 5 December 1996
Inquiry of the Holy See (CCS)
Decree on validity of diocesan inquiry: 13 May 1998
Promulgation of decree on martyrdom: 1 July 2010
Beatification: 3 July 2011, Satu Mare
Let us pray for his
canonization!
Official prayer of the
Mass (opening prayer)
Almighty and eternal God,
You granted Blessed Bishop János Scheffler
the grace to fight for the truth till his death
and to be a model of loyalty and obedience to the Church.
Grant that we may imitate his faithful self-giving
and find an eternal home in Heaven.
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
Episcopia Romano Catolica
Str. 1. Decembrie 1918, Nr. 2
RO-440010 Satu Mare
More information:
https://www.szatmariegyhazmegye.ro/
Olvass tovább: https://www.mindszentyalapitvany.hu/products/blessed-janos-scheffler/
SOURCE : https://www.mindszentyalapitvany.hu/products/blessed-janos-scheffler/
Romanian Bishop a
Communist–era Martyr
30 June 2011
By Jonathan Luxmoore,
Catholic News Service
Category: News
OXFORD, England (CNS) — A
Catholic bishop from Romania will be beatified as a martyr almost six decades
after dying from being doused in boiling water in a prison operated by his
country’s former communist regime.
Bishop Janos Scheffler
“was a pastor who risked everything to sustain the faith of Catholics and
safeguard his church’s unity with Rome,” said Archbishop Ioan Robu of
Bucharest, president of the Romanian bishops’ conference.
“Having him officially
recognized by the Catholic Church will provide a great impulse of joy and
consolation, giving us a new model and new intercessor with God,” he said.
The archbishop spoke
about preparations for the July 3 beatification of Bishop Scheffler (1887-1952)
in the cathedral in Oradea, Romania. The bishop headed the Diocese of Oradea
Mare and Satu Mare. The Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect
of the Vatican Congregation for Saints’ Causes.
In a June 28 interview
with Catholic News Service, Archbishop Robu said the beatification was
attracting considerable public interest in Romania, which has 12 Latin and
Eastern Catholic dioceses serving about 5.6 percent of the population of 21.7
million, according to a 2002 census. The archbishop said the recognition of
communist-era martyrs was a “point of ecumenical contact” with the country’s
predominant Orthodox population.
“All Romanians are
sensitive to such stories of witness and suffering, and the memory of Bishop
Scheffler is still very much alive here, not only among Catholics,” Archbishop
Robu said.
“Younger people may have
trouble understanding the past epoch to which such figures belonged. But the
idea of martyrdom surpasses historical periods — it speaks of the capacity for
total devotion and risk, for the offering of life itself. These are values
which can be readily appreciated by today’s young generation,” he said.
Named Bishop of Satu Mare
in 1942 and of Ordea Mare in 1948, Bishop Scheffler was noted for his support
for Catholic education and concern for social issues.
In 1950, as Romania’s new
communist regime attempted to break the Catholic Church’s links with Rome,
Bishop Scheffler was arrested and sent to Jilava prison, near the capital,
Bucharest, from where he smuggled a message to local Catholics, urging them to
“stay faithful unto martyrdom.”
The bishop died in an
underground cell Dec. 6, 1952, after he had boiling water poured on him in the
prison shower. The location of his unmarked grave in the prison cemetery was
recorded by an Orthodox priest and fellow inmate. In 1965, his remains were
secretly exhumed and reinterred in the Oradea cathedral crypt.
In an interview with CNS
June 27, Archbishop Gyorgy-Miklos Jakubinyi of Alba Iulia said the
beatification process, launched in 1990 after communist rule was overthrown in
Romania’s “Winter Revolution,” had been helped by a composer who had shared the
bishop’s cell and witnessed his violent death.
Bishop Scheffler is the
second Romanian bishop to be beatified as a communist-era martyr; the first was
Auxiliary Bishop Szilard Bogdanffy of Ordea Mare and Satu Mare, who died in
1953 and was beatified in October.
Archbishop Robu told CNS
he hoped beatification processes would be completed soon for 15 other Romanian
Catholic martyrs, including seven Eastern Catholic bishops.
More than 75 martyrs from
communist-ruled Eastern Europe have been beatified by the Catholic Church,
including 29 from Ukraine and 40 from Albania.
SOURCE : https://cnewa.org/romanian-bishop-a-communist-era-martyr/
Interior
of the Roman Catholic church in Foieni, Satu Mare, Romania
Beato Janos Scheffler Vescovo
e martire
Camin, Romania, 29
ottobre 1887, Bucarest, Romania, 6 dicembre 1952
János Scheffler, vescovo
di Satu Mare in Romania, fu perseguitato dal regime comunista e morì
prigioniero a Bucarest. Beatificato il 3 luglio 2011.
János Scheffler nacque il
29 ottobre 1887 a Kalmánd (Cămin), un villaggio appartenente allora
all’Ungheria, da una famiglia di agricoltori cattolici, secondogenito di
dieci figli. Nel 1898 fu iscritto al Liceo Maggiore Cattolico Reale di Satu
Mare e venne poi accolto nel convitto vescovile retto dai Gesuiti.
Avendo manifestato fin
dall’età di dieci anni una forte inclinazione per il Sacerdozio, terminati
gli studi liceali il Servo di Dio fu ammesso al Seminario di Satu Mare nel
1905. Dal 1906 al 1910 frequentò la Facoltà di Teologia dell’Università delle
Scienze “Pétér Pázmány” di Budapest e, dopo aver ricevuto gli ordini minori, fu
ordinato sacerdote il 6 luglio 1910 e nominato cappellano a Csomaköz dal
vescovo diocesano Tibor Boromissza. Per le sue spiccate doti
intellettuali, fu inviato a Roma dove completò gli studi in Diritto Canonico,
laureandosi “summa cum laude” presso l’Università Gregoriana, il 19 giugno
1912. Tornato in patria, ricoprì diversi incarichi: fu protocollista e
cancelliere presso la cancelleria vescovile, cappellano a Ungvár, prefetto del
seminario. Nel novembre 1915 ricevette il dottorato in Scienze Teologiche,
assumendo successivamente doversi incarichi accademici e pastorali: professore
al liceo cattolico di Satu Mare, predicatore della Cattedrale, promotore di giustizia
del tribunale ecclesiastico diocesano, docente di Diritto Canonico, di Storia
della Chiesa e di Teologia. Al termine della Prima Guerra Mondiale, la
mutata situazione politica e la cessione della Transilvania alla Romania
indussero il Servo di Dio ad apprendere la lingua romena per poter predicare e
confessare. La sua esperienza pastorale ebbe modo di ampliarsi ulteriormente
con la nomina nel 1923 a parroco di Nagymajtény (Moftinu Mare), un incarico
durante quale diede forte impulso alle opere di apostolato, organizzò
pellegrinaggi, scrisse manuali di catechesi per gli studenti delle scuole
medie, adoperandosi in vario modo per la sussistenza della scuola
cattolica.
Alcuni anni più
tardi Scheffler partecipò a Chicago, dal 20 al 24 giugno 1926, al XXVIII
Congresso Eucaristico Internazionale, un evento ecclesiale di grande rilievo al
quale il Servo di Dio volle dedicare un suo libro dal titolo “Da Satu Mare a
Chicago”. Seguirono nuovi, importanti incarichi a Satu Mare, come direttore
spirituale del Seminario, e nella diocesi di rito latino di Oradea, dove
insegnò Diritto Canonico e Storia della Chiesa presso la Facoltà di
Teologia. Il 26 marzo 1942 fu nominato vescovo della Diocesi di Satu Mare, il
cui territorio era passato nuovamente all’Ungheria, e amministratore apostolico
di Oradea; ricevette la consacrazione episcopale il 17 maggio dello stesso anno
nella cattedrale di Satu Mare.
Si dimostrò pastore
prudente, zelante e paterno, instancabile nell’esercizio del ministero
episcopale, nella predicazione, nell’amministrazione dei sacramenti, nelle
visite alle parrocchie, nella cura dei sacerdoti e dei seminaristi. Erano gli
anni del secondo conflitto mondiale e per l’Europa orientale si stavano
profilando profondi mutamenti politici. Nel settembre 1944 la diocesi di Satu
Mare venne invasa dall’Armata Rossa e la Transilvania settentrionale fu
assoggettata dai sovietici. Terminata la guerra, la persecuzione contro la
Chiesa si fece più aspra. Venne annullato il Concordato e il 1° ottobre 1948 fu
dichiarato lo scioglimento della Chiesa cattolica di rito orientale: il
governo romeno voleva infatti assimilare i cattolici agli ortodossi e staccare
la Chiesa cattolica in Romania da quella di Roma.
Poiché il Servo di Dio
non volle piegarsi alle pretese del regime, fu arrestato dalla “Securitate” il
23 maggio 1950 e costretto agli arresti domiciliari presso il convento
francescano di Korosbánya. Venne poi trasferito nel carcere di Bucarest (1952)
e in quello sotterraneo di Jilava, dove trascorse gi ultimi due mesi di vita in
condizioni disumane, che incisero profondamente sulle sue già precarie
condizioni di salute. Si spense, a conseguenza delle privazioni e dei
maltrattamenti subiti, al mattino del 6 dicembre 1952. Nel 1965 i suoi resti
mortali furono traslati nella cripta della Cattedrale di Satu Mare.
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/95499
Voir aussi : http://coeurs-unis-en-j-m.forumactif.com/t11257-6-decembre-bienheureux-janos-scheffler
BENEDETTO XVI
ANGELUS
Cari fratelli e sorelle!
Oggi, nel Vangelo, il Signore Gesù ci ripete quelle parole che conosciamo così
bene, ma che sempre ci commuovono: “Venite a me, voi tutti che siete stanchi e
oppressi, e io vi darò ristoro. Prendete il mio giogo sopra di voi e imparate
da me, che sono mite e umile di cuore, e troverete ristoro per la vostra vita.
Il mio giogo infatti è dolce e il mio peso leggero” (Mt 11,28-30). Quando Gesù
percorreva le strade della Galilea annunciando il Regno di Dio e guarendo molti
malati, sentiva compassione delle folle, perché erano stanche e sfinite, come
pecore senza pastore” (cfr Mt 9,35-36). Quello sguardo di Gesù sembra
estendersi fino ad oggi, fino al nostro mondo. Anche oggi si posa su tanta
gente oppressa da condizioni di vita difficili, ma anche priva di validi punti
di riferimento per trovare un senso e una meta all’esistenza. Moltitudini
sfinite si trovano nei Paesi più poveri, provate dall’indigenza; e anche nei
Paesi più ricchi sono tanti gli uomini e le donne insoddisfatti, addirittura
malati di depressione. Pensiamo poi ai numerosi sfollati e rifugiati, a quanti
emigrano mettendo a rischio la propria vita. Lo sguardo di Cristo si posa su
tutta questa gente, anzi, su ciascuno di questi figli del Padre che è nei
cieli, e ripete: “Venite a me, voi tutti…”.
Gesù promette di dare a tutti “ristoro”, ma pone una condizione: “Prendete il
mio giogo sopra di voi e imparate da me, che sono mite e umile di cuore”. Che
cos’è questo “giogo”, che invece di pesare alleggerisce, e invece di
schiacciare solleva? Il “giogo” di Cristo è la legge dell’amore, è il suo
comandamento, che ha lasciato ai suoi discepoli (cfr Gv 13,34; 15,12). Il vero
rimedio alle ferite dell’umanità, sia quelle materiali, come la fame e le
ingiustizie, sia quelle psicologiche e morali causate da un falso benessere, è
una regola di vita basata sull’amore fraterno, che ha la sua sorgente
nell’amore di Dio. Per questo bisogna abbandonare la via dell’arroganza, della
violenza utilizzata per procurarsi posizioni di sempre maggiore potere, per
assicurarsi il successo ad ogni costo. Anche verso l’ambiente bisogna
rinunciare allo stile aggressivo che ha dominato negli ultimi secoli e adottare
una ragionevole “mitezza”. Ma soprattutto nei rapporti umani, interpersonali,
sociali, la regola del rispetto e della non violenza, cioè la forza della verità
contro ogni sopruso, è quella che può assicurare un futuro degno dell’uomo.
Cari amici, ieri abbiamo celebrato una particolare memoria liturgica di Maria
Santissima lodando Dio per il suo Cuore Immacolato. Ci aiuti la Vergine a
“imparare” da Gesù la vera umiltà, a prendere con decisione il suo giogo
leggero, per sperimentare la pace interiore e diventare a nostra volta capaci
di consolare altri fratelli e sorelle che percorrono con fatica il cammino
della vita.
Dopo l'Angelus
Cari fratelli e sorelle,
mi unisco alla gioia della Chiesa in Romania, in particolare della Comunità di
Satu Mare, dove oggi viene proclamato Beato János Scheffler, che fu Vescovo di
quella Diocesi e morì martire nel 1952. La sua testimonianza sostenga sempre le
fede di quanti lo ricordano con affetto e delle nuove generazioni.
Chers pèlerins francophones, de façon providentielle, alors que pour beaucoup
débutent les vacances, les textes de ce dimanche nous orientent vers le repos
et la sérénité. Il ne s’agit pas de partir en repos pour partir, mais bien de
vivre d’une façon nouvelle nos relations avec nos proches, avec Dieu, en
prenant du temps pour cela. Jésus nous invite à venir à Lui, à nous confier à
Lui. La foi en sa présence nous apporte la sérénité de celui qui se sait
toujours aimé du Père. Faisons une large place à la lecture de la Parole de
Dieu, particulièrement de l’Evangile que vous ne manquerez pas de mettre dans
vos bagages de vacances ! Bon pèlerinage à tous !
I am pleased to greet the English-speaking visitors here today, especially the
candidates for the permanent diaconate from the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland, who
are here with their wives. In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites all of us to come
to him, whatever burdens we may be carrying, whatever labours we may be engaged
in, because in him we will find rest. At this time of year when so many of you
are taking your annual holiday, I pray that you will truly find refreshment for
body and spirit and an opportunity to rest in the Lord. May God bestow his
blessings of joy and peace upon all of you, and upon your families and loved
ones at home.
Mit Freude grüße ich alle Pilger und Gäste deutscher Sprache. „Kommt alle zu
mir“, lädt Jesus uns im heutigen Evangelium ein. Der Herr kennt die Mühsal und
die Last unseres Lebens und will uns Ruhe verschaffen. Auf uns selbst gestellt
können wir aber die tiefste Sehnsucht unseres Herzens nicht stillen. Christus
zeigt uns den Weg zum wirklichen, zum glücklichen Leben; er ist selbst der Weg.
„Lernt von mir“, so sagt er, „denn ich bin gütig und von Herzen demütig.“ Von
Jesus also können wir das rechte Menschsein lernen, und dazu gehören die Güte
und die Demut. Dann finden wir innere Freude und Erholung für Geist und Seele.
Bei Jesus sein ist das wahre Glück. Ich wünsche euch einen gesegneten Sonntag
und eine gute Woche.
Saludo con afecto a los grupos de lengua española que participan en esta
oración mariana, en particular a los profesores y alumnos del Colegio
Internacional Europa, de Sevilla. “Venid a mí todos los que estáis cansados y
agobiados”, nos dice hoy Cristo en el Evangelio. Que esta palabra resuene con
claridad en el corazón de todos, de modo que, presentando al Señor nuestros
afanes y sufrimientos, encontremos en Él la fuerza para afrontar la vida con
alegría y serenidad de espíritu, siendo testigos de su amor y fuente de
esperanza para los necesitados. Gracias por vuestra presencia y vuestras
oraciones. Feliz domingo.
Zo srdca pozdravujem slovenských pútnikov, osobitne z Úpora a Černovej. Bratia
a sestry, budúci utorok Slovensko bude sláviť sviatok svätých bratov Cyrila a
Metoda. Oni sú pre nás všetkých príkladom jednoty vo viere. Zostaňte verní
tomuto ich odkazu. S láskou vás žehnám. Pochválený buď Ježiš Kristus!
[Di cuore saluto i pellegrini slovacchi, particolarmente quelli provenienti da
Úpor e Černová. Fratelli e sorelle, martedì prossimo la Slovacchia celebrerà la
festa dei Santi fratelli Cirillo e Metodio. Essi sono per tutti noi esempio di
unità nella fede. Rimanete fedeli a questo sublime esempio. Con affetto vi
benedico. Sia lodato Gesù Cristo!]
Drodzy Polacy, bracia i siostry. Modlitwa „Anioł Pański” przypomina nam, że
Słowo Boże stało się ciałem pod sercem Dziewiczej Matki. W kontekście minionych
obchodów liturgicznych: Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa i Niepokalanego Serca
Maryi, polecam was wszystkich opiece tych Najświętszych Serc. Niech Serce
Jezusa zjednoczone z Sercem Maryi będzie dla was źródłem życia i świętości.
Wszystkim wam błogosławię, życzę dobrej niedzieli.
[Cari fratelli e sorelle Polacchi, la preghiera dell’“Angelus” ci ricorda che
il Verbo di Dio si fece carne nel grembo della Vergine Madre. Nel contesto
delle recenti celebrazioni liturgiche del Sacratissimo Cuore di Gesù e del
Cuore Immacolato della Beata Vergine Maria vi raccomando alla protezione di
questi Cuori santissimi. Il Cuore di Gesù unito al Cuore di Maria sia per voi
sorgente di vita e di santità. Vi benedico tutti e vi auguro buona domenica.]
Rivolgo infine un cordiale saluto ai pellegrini di lingua italiana, in
particolare ai fedeli venuti da Pistoia e ai ragazzi di Latisana, Arcidiocesi
di Udine. A tutti auguro una buona domenica e un buon mese di luglio. Nei
prossimi giorni lascerò il Vaticano per recarmi a Castel Gandolfo. Da là, a Dio
piacendo, guiderò l’Angelus domenica prossima. Grazie! Buona domenica e buona
settimana a tutti voi.
© Copyright 2011 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Copyright © Dicastero per
la Comunicazione - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
SOURCE : https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/it/angelus/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ang_20110703.html
