Vladimir Ghika
| Blessed Vladimir Ghika | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) Prince Ghika at Paray-le-Monial, holding up the Sacred Heart banner of Roman Catholicism in Romania (1917) | |
| Priest, Bi-Ritual Priest, Prince | |
| Born |
December 25, 1873 Constantinople, Ottoman Empire |
| Died |
June 16, 1954 (aged 80) Jilava, Bucharest, Socialist Republic of Romania |
| Honored in |
Roman Catholic Church Eastern Catholic Churches |
| Beatified | 31 August 2013, Bucharest, Romania by Cardinal Angelo Amato, S.D.B., representing Pope Francis |
| Major shrine | St. Basil's Greek Catholic Church, Bucharest, Romania |
| Feast | 16 May |
Vladimir Ghika or Ghica (December 25, 1873 in Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey; May 16, 1954 in Jilava, Bucharest in Romania) was a Romanian diplomat and essayist who, after his conversion from Romanian Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism, became a priest, dying in prison after his arrest by the Communist regime. He was a member of the princely Ghica family which ruled Moldavia and Wallachia from the 17th to the 19th century. Monsignor Vladimir Ghika's beatification, proposed by Archdiocese of Bucharest, and based on a dossier with his biography, will take place in August 31, 2013.
Life
He was born on Christmas Day of 1873 in Constantinople (now Istanbul - Turkey), his father John Ghika being at that time minister plenipotentiary in Turkey. His mother was Alexandrina Ghika, née Alexandrina Moret de Blaremberg. He was the grandson of the last ruler of Moldavia, Prince Gregory V Ghika (who ruled from 1849 - 1856). He had four brothers and a sister: Gregory, Alexander, George - who died at an early age, Ella - dead and her young, and Demetrius Ghika (1875 - 1967).
He was raised in the Orthodox faith. In the year 1878, in order to give a good education to the children, the family moved to France at Toulouse. There they frequented the Protestant community in terms of religious practice, because the Orthodox church is not represented in the area. He received his degree in law in 1895, after which he attended the Paris Faculty of Political Science. At the same time he frequented courses of medicine, botany, art, literature, philosophy, history.
Ghika returned to Romania due to an attack of angina pectoris, and he continued his studies in Romania.
Ghika was an alumnus of the College of St. Thomas, the future Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas Angelicum, in Rome. In 1898 he enroll in the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology. At the Angelicum Ghika completed a licentiate in philosophy and a doctorate in theology in 1905.[1] He converted to the Catholic faith in 1902.
He wanted to become a priest or monk, but Pius X advised him to give up the idea, at least for a while, and dedicate himself to secular apostolate. He became one of the pioneers of the lay apostolate.
Returned to the country, he dedicated to works of charity and opened the first free clinic in Bucharest called Mariae Bethlehem, he sets great hospital and sanatorium Saint Vincent de Paul, founded the first hospital so free in Romania and the first ambulance, becoming founder of the first Catholic charity work in Romania. Participating in health services in the Balkan war in 1913, he was dedicated to patient care without fear of cholera in Zimnicea .
During World War he was in charge of diplomatic missions among the Avezzano earthquake victims of tuberculosis of Hospice of Rome, war wounded, moving from the most popular diplomatic environments with a surprising naturality.
On October 7, 1923 Ghika was ordained a priest in Paris by Cardinal Dubois, Archbishop of the city. He served as a priest in France until 1939. Shortly after Ghika was ordained, the Holy See authorized him to celebrate the Byzantine Rite. Prince Ghika thereby became the first bi-ritual Romanian priest.
On 13 May 1931 the Pope appointed Ghika to be an Apostolic Protonotary. Reluctant to accept this appointment as the entry among clergy had never vote not to accept ecclesiastical dignities. He worked worldwide, in Bucharest, Rome, Paris, Congo, Tokyo, Sydney, Buenos Aires ... Later, in jest, Pope Pius XI will call him "apostolic vagabond".
On 3 August 1939 he returned to Romania, where he is caught by the Second World War. Refusing to leave Romania to be with the poor and sick, to be able to help and encourage, leaving for the same reason in Bucharest when they start Allied bombing.
After the Communists came to power, he also refused to leave on the royal train, for the same reasons. He was arrested on November 18, 1952 because of his support for the Catholic Church in communion with Rome and not the schismatic church that the regime was creating. Charged for "high treason" and threatened, beaten to blood, tortured and processed. Imprisoned at Jilava on May 16, he died in 1954 due to bestial treatment to which he was subjected.
Education
1893 - School of Toulouse (France)
1893 - 1895 - Follow Faculty of Political Sciences in Paris, attending also courses in medicine, botany, art, literature, philosophy, history and law
1895 - 1898 - Ghika will continue their studies in private
1898 - 1905 - Faculty of Philosophy, Theology There follows the Dominicans in Rome (Angelicum) and obtained a degree in philosophy and a doctorate in theology
1904 - 1906 - Thessaloniki continues to study history
Writings
Although he had a great culture and great capacity, he avoided to produce personal writings. He wrote only forced by circumstances and needs. He did research work in the Vatican archives, publishing some of the results in the Revue Catolique. He wrote magazine articles in Literary Talk, La Revue Hebdomadaire, Les Études, Le Correspondant, La Revue des Jeunes, La Documentation Catholique. Was wont to note the findings of the paper cuts short personal meditations, were subsequently published in various editions as Pensées pour la suite des jours. We were sent a few homilies, articles, conferences and publications.
Beatification
Monsignor Vladimir Ghika was proposed for beatification by Archdiocese of Bucharest, based on a dossier with his biography, submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican. On 27 March 2013, Pope Francis declared Vladimir Ghika had been a martyr.[2] He was beatified on[3] on 31st August 2013.
Writings published in French
Méditation de l'Heure Sainte, first edition, 1912
Pensées pour la suite des jours, first edition, 1923
Les intermèdes de Talloires, 1924
La Messe Byzantine dite de Saint Jean-Chrystome. Nouvelle traduction française adaptée à l'usage courant des fidèles du rite Latin avec commentaire et introduction par le prince Vladimir I. Ghika, 1924
La visite des pauvres: manuel de la dame de Charité : conférences, first edition, 1923
Roseau d'Or ( Chroniques - Volume VIII), a collection of thoughts (such Pensées pour la suite des jours ), 1928
La Sainte Vierge et le Saint Sacrement, 1929
Vigia (book IV), a collection of thoughts (such Pensées pour la suite des jours ), 1930
"La Femme adultère. Un prologue, un acte, un épilogue." 2e édition. 1931
"La souffrance," first edition, 1932
"La Liturgie du prochain," first edition, 1932
La Présence de Dieu, first edition, 1932
Derniers témoignages [seem] Mgr Vladimir Ghika. Presentes par Yvonne Estienne, 1970, posthumous publication that collects various other unpublished thoughts monsignor
Writings published in Romanian
Our Lady and the Holy Sacrament. Speech delivered by Monsignor Ghika opening in November 1928 Eucharistic Congress in Sydney, Australia
Adulteress. Gospel Mystery comprising a prologue, an act, an epilogue. Pieasă theater
Thoughts for the days ahead
Spiritual conversation
Interludes in Talloires
Last witness, Vladimir Ghika, pref. Yvonne Estienne
Posthumous fragments. Institute of previously unpublished archive
"Vladimir Ghika" (translation of documents unpublished)
References
- ↑ http://angelicumnewsletterblog.blogspot.com/ Accessed 4 June 2013
- ↑ "Pope approves first decrees on future saints". Rome Reports. 29 March 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ↑ Rocca, Francis X. (28 March 2013). "Pope recognises martyrs who died at the hands of communist and fascist regimes". Catholic Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
Bibliography
Biography
Vladimir Ghika. Profesor de speranță, Francisca Băltăceanu, Andrei Brezianu, Monica Broșteanu, Emanuel Cosmovici, Luc Verly, prefață de IPS Ioan Robu, Editura ARCB, București 2013.
Vladimir Ghika, professeur d'espérance, Francesca Baltaceanu et Monica Brosteanu, préface de Mgr Philippe Brizard, Cerf, 2013
Vladimir Ghika. Prințul cerșetor de iubire pentru Cristos, Anca Mărtinaș, Editrice Velar, Editura ARCB, București 2013.
Vladimir Ghika. Il principe mendicante di amore per Cristo, Anca Mărtinaș, Editrice Velar, Editrice ELLEDICI, Gorle, 2013.
Monseniorul: amintiri și documente din viața Monseniorului Ghika în România, Horia Cosmovici, Editura Galaxia Gutenberg, Târgu Lăpuș, 2011.
Mgr Vladimir Ghika. Prince, prêtre et martyr, Charles Molette, AED, Paris, 2007.
Vladimir Ghika. L'Angelo della Romania, in Il nono libro dei Ritratti di santi', Antonio Maria Sicari o.c.d., Jaka Book, 2006.
Monseniorul: amintiri din viața de apostolat, Horia Cosmovici, Editura MC, București, 1996.
Principe, sacerdore e martire. Vladimir Ghika, Jean Daujat, Edizioni Messaggero di Padova, Padova, 1996.
Prince et martyr, l’apôtre du Danube, Mgr Vladimir Ghika, Hélène Danubia, Pierre Tequi, Paris, 1993.
La memoire des silence, Vladimir Ghika 1873-1954, Élisabeth de Miribel, Librarie Artème Fayard, 1987.
Une flamme dans le vitrail. Souvenirs sur Mgr. Ghika, Yvonne Estienne, Editions Du Chalet, Lyon,1963.
Vladimir Ghika, Prince et Berger, Susane-Marie Durand, Castermann, 1962.
Une âme de feu, monseigneur Vladimir Ghika, Michel de Galzain, Éditions Beauchesne, 1961.
L’apôtre du XX-em siècle, Vladimir Ghika, Jean Daujat, La Palatine-Plon, 1956.
Les Convertis du 20e siècle - Du Palais à l'autel et à la geôle. Le Prince Vladimir Ghika, de Pierre Gherman, Bruxelles, 1954.
Monseniorul Vladimir Ghika -Schita de portret European de Stefan J. Fay - Continent 2006
Studies
„Rugați-vă toți pentru mine...” Monseniorul Vladimir Ghika și martiriul său, Florina-Aida Bătrînu, ARCB, București, 2013.
O lumină în întuneric: Monseniorul Vladimir Ghika, Mihaela Vasiliu, ARCB, București, 2012.
Une lumière dans les ténébres. Mgr Vladimir Ghika, Mihaela Vasiliu, Cerf, Paris, 2011.
Mgr Vladimir Ghika apôtre et martyr. Actes du colloque à la mémoire de Mgr Vladimir Ghika. Octobre 2010, Paris, ABMVG, Paris 2011.
A trăit și a murit ca un sfânt! Mons. Vladimir Ghika 1873-1954, ed. Ioan Ciobanu, ARCB, București, 2003.
External links
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