St. Josaphat, bishop and martyr

In today’s post, we will take a closer look at the last period of St. Josaphat’s life, which he lived as an archbishop and a kind shepherd entrusted to him by the people. He was consecrated bishop on Sunday, November 12, 1617, in Vilnius. His consecrator was the Metropolitan of Kyiv Josef Rutský, with whom Jehoshaphat formed an essential pair for the metro pole of the time – we could say that they were something like Cyril and Methodius for our regions. While Metropolitan Rutsky put the impoverished and neglected Kyiv metro pole on its feet in terms of organization, Jehoshaphat was its driving force in terms of spirituality. The city of Polock in today’s Belarus became its new seat.

As the new Polish archbishop, Jehoshaphat did not move away from his pasture. His new status did not change his monastic way of life. He continued to dress like a monk and inhabited a modest cell. It must be said that Jehoshaphat was consecrated bishop as a coadjutor, that is, as a bishop with the right of succession. The Polish department was not vacant, but its bishop was already a 90-year-old Gideon Broľnický, a weak and indecisive person, and lacked the necessary education. Because he had counselors around him with not the best of intentions, he welcomed his new assistant, Bishop Josaphat, coldly. However, Jehoshaphat’s modesty and humility helped to break Bishop Gideon’s mistrust, so that their relationship soon evolved into a father-son relationship. The infirm Bishop Gideon, provided with the sacraments, died in Jehoshaphat’s care after a short time.

As a resident bishop, Josaphat now gave himself to work and proved to be a good administrator of the estates. He managed to restore the Cathedral of Divine Wisdom and return the monasteries to the church that had been in the hands of secular persons. Above all, he became an ardent preacher of church unity. Three years after his episcopal ordination, the Orthodox, ununified hierarchy was also restored on the territory of the Kyiv metropolis. In practically every city where a Greek Catholic bishop resided, one more non-unified bishop was appointed. Thus, a parallel hierarchy was created that divided the population, fostering animosity, quarrels, and rifts between the clergy and the people.

For the ununited, the most outstanding herald and defender of Orthodoxy was Bishop Meletij Smotrický, an educated person, an ascetic, but above all a great opponent of Josaphat, who wrote several works and pamphlets against the union. Passwords such as: „End of union! An end to Latin and Jesuit violence! The united bishops are hiding and want to switch to the Latin Rite! Soul Jehoshaphat, who is hiding in Warsaw, is already celebrating the Latin mass; they saw him!“ Jehoshaphat was indeed in Warsaw at that time, but to help Metropolitan Rutsky.

When he returned to his residence, he found that the people and the clergy were sharing among themselves. Ununited monks used townspeople, town halls, and residents for their anti-Union goals. Threats could be heard more and more often against Josaphat. The situation worsened every day. Plans were made to get rid of Josaphat for good. But Jehoshaphat was not afraid. He, too, began to devise plans to combat human malice and defend the union. He often spoke publicly and devoted his sermons to the issue of union. It was by celebrating the liturgy that he proved consistent loyalty to the Byzantine rite in its purity. He also visited his friends and acquaintances, encouraging them in their loyalty to the church. However, he also spoke to his opponents, always in a kind and mild manner.

As an example of Josaphat’s approach to the non-united, we can quote the Polish city councilor Ivan Chodyk, who was Orthodox and united with the Catholic Church only after Josaphat’s death. He himself confessed as follows: „I can say for sure that nothing mattered to Josaphat as archbishop as much as bringing us to unity, while he conversed with us patiently and kindly. He invited us over for lunch and kept repeating the same thing over and over. Once he grabbed my hand and didn’t want to let me leave the temple, but he eventually encouraged me to leave the discord.

He loved the ununited and tried to bring them to unity; he did not hate us or persecute us. Only he did not accept the union that God himself gave to his will. I cannot reproach Josaphat for any aggressive behavior towards us, or for causing us any wrong or providing us with a reason to hate him.“ However, the Lord allowed the malice of the opponents of the union to increase more and more. Josaphat’s enemies carried out several failed assassinations to eliminate him. It was only a matter of time before it would succeed.