The Vatican has halted work on canonizing Father Walter Cieszek, a Pennsylvania-born Jesuit priest who ministered to fellow prisoners while serving more than 20 years in prison in Russia.
siszek (1904–1984) known for his spiritual writings.he leads me” And “with god in russia,” which he wrote after surviving torture and hard labor by the Soviet secret police during his imprisonment from 1941-1963.
The Vatican first approved the advancement of Cieszek’s cause in 2012. Over the several decades that the issue was in progress, the Jesuits collected the testimony of witnesses, Cieszek’s writings, and more than 4,000 archival documents from Jesuit and Russian archives.
Monsignor Ronald Bossian of Walter Cieszek Prayer LeagueCiszek’s issue advocacy group said on April 9 Letter That “the formal canonization process has been stopped.”
“The diocese has been informed that the documents related to his case do not support pursuing his cause for beatification or sainthood,” Bocian said.
Bocian continued, “This development comes after years of careful study and discernment at the level of the Holy See, which takes the responsibility of evaluating each cause with thoroughness, integrity and fidelity to the norms of the Church.”
Bocian said, “Although this news may bring disappointment to those who have been inspired by Father Ciszek’s example of heroic faith and have prayed for his cause, it does not diminish the enduring spiritual value of his life, witness and legacy.”
This is the second canonization ceremony this month when the Vatican has been closed. The Vatican also put on hold the case of Argentinian bishop and Servant of God Jorge Novak earlier this month. The Diocese of Quilmes, Argentina, said the decision expressed “no moral judgment regarding the life, virtues and pastoral ministry” of the bishop, but that it was due to him not completing the “potential canonical process” as a priest.
According to Bocian’s letter, the prayer league advocating for Ciszek’s canonization would become the “Father Walter J. Ciszek Society.” Bocian said the society would “remain committed to honoring his memory, sharing his message, and encouraging devotion to the profound spiritual insights he left for the Church.”
“Although the formal canonization process has been halted, the grace that flows from their testimony lives on in the hearts of the faithful,” Bocian said.
The Diocese of Allentown, Pennsylvania, confirmed the news in a statement to EWTN News, acknowledging the “disappointment” and encouraging the faithful to remember the grace of Ciszek’s life.
Statement from the Diocese of Allentown on the issue of Father Walter Cieszek, shared with EWTN News.
“This development comes as the Church evaluates each cause with thoroughness, integrity and fidelity to its norms,” ​​read the statement from the Diocese of Allentown, which is similar to Bocian’s letter.
Who was Father Walter Cieszek?
Ciszek was born in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania in 1904. He entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1928 and was ordained in 1937 after being trained to say Mass in the Russian rite. After spending two years in Poland, he used the chaos of World War II to enter the Soviet Union so he could minister to Christians living under communist oppression.
Soviet authorities arrested him in 1941, believing him to be a spy. During his decades in prison, he endured solitary confinement, torture, and years of hard labor near the Arctic Circle. Despite the dangers, he held mass in secret and heard the confessions of other prisoners.
President John F. Kennedy negotiated a prisoner exchange that resulted in their release in 1963. Ciszek wrote about his spiritual insights and experiences in Russia. He died at Fordham University in New York on December 8, 1984. In 1990, Cieszek was declared a Servant of God.
