“Grant that I be found worthy, Lord, to shed my blood for the union and obedience to the Apostolic See.”

Arouse in Your Church, O Lord, the spirit with which blessed Josaphat, Your Martyr and Bishop, was filled when he laid down his life for his flock; so that, by his intercession, we, also moved and strengthened by the same spirit, may not fear to lay down our lives for our brethren.
Collect, Feast of Saint Josaphat, Martyr (14 Nov, 1962 calendar)

Josaphat was his religious name. His real name was John Kunsevich, born in present day Ukraine and later a Ruthenian Orthodox archbishop in Poland during the 16th century, who lead his archeparchy into union with Rome under the Union of Brest.
His insistence on unity with the pope, not to mention his zeal and asceticism, drew the ire of many enemies. He was so hated, that Orthodox, Protestants, and pagans conspired together to murder him, and they got their wish upon instigating an angry mob on 12 November 1623. He was shot, his skull smashed to bits with axes, wild dogs set upon him, then weighted with stones and thrown into the Dvina river. Catholics would later recover his body, which now resides at St. Peter’s in Rome.
He is a martyr not just for the faith, but specifically for unity with the one true pope, even unto death.
“I rejoice to offer my life for my holy Catholic faith. Grant that I be found worthy, Lord, to shed my blood for the union and obedience to the Apostolic See.” HERE

Screenshot 2019-11-14 at 13.41.49
Martyrdom of Josaphat Kuntsevych (c. 1861)  Józef Simmler

 

8 thoughts on ““Grant that I be found worthy, Lord, to shed my blood for the union and obedience to the Apostolic See.””

  1. “Josaphat a martyr not just for the faith, but specifically for unity with the one true pope, even unto death.”
    Today Josaphat would have a hard time telling who was the one true pope or even if we have a pope or all.

    1. Michael Dowd, very true. But the common theme, now as then, is that the singular Vicar of Christ matters infinitely.
      We cannot “Unite The Clans®️“, unless we *unite under the one.true.Pope.
      St. Josaphat showed that the path to Christ is one of Hierarchy through valid Divine authority.
      We cannot do this alone.
      We cannot do this under invalid authority.
      We cannot do this without pure Dogma.
      We can only unite in Christ through valid, grace filled lines of hierarchical authority.
      In his day he faced the birth of Protestant rebellion – the overthrow of Hierarchy.
      In our day we face the birth of Pagan Modernist rebellion – the overthrow of Dogma.
      Then, as now, the Word (Christ and His revealed Dogma) and Hierarchy remains unchanged, we just have to return to and defend it.

      1. WELL said Aqua!….just finish it. bergoglio is not now, and never has been, the pope; ergo, every evil talking point he’s blathered or demonic action point he’s implemented is invalid, acrid mist.
        I don’t think Josaphat would have had one whit of difficulty in recognizing that….it’s remarkably easy to see, if one only wants to see the Truth. Be the Vendee.

      2. Michael Dowd, in St. Josaphat’s case it was not only a long time coming, it still hasn’t come to this day. They remain separated. But his efforts, his martyrdom, were not dependent upon success. They depended upon standing alone on Truth, come what may.
        If we “unify the clans” around an antipope, and accept the heresy that gave us the antipope, we contribute to the problem not the solution.
        We must insist that the Catholic Faith rests on the Cornerstone of a singular Pope, validly elected before God. Catholic unity that does not begin there is doomed. All else must stop until the Papal emergency is addressed. It is the one, urgent thing. Everything else (heresy and predictable disunity) follows out of that.

  2. Thanks Mark. And for the link too. And a shout out to Ann for her Empathy piece. Uncanny how you two post things that help me navigate through these terrible times? I think not.

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