THE FRENCH IMPRESSED BY FR. POPIELUSZKO

MILENA KINDZIUK

The message about the begun process for acknowledging the miracle through the intercession of blessed Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko was accepted in France very cordially, also by mass media. The interest in this matter and the blessed priest is really surprising – Fr. Prof. Jozef Naumowicz, a notary in the process and one of three Poles in the Canonization Tribunal in Creteil says to 'Niedziela'

In Creteil, near Paris, on Saturday, 20 September, a canonic process was begun, for acknowledging the alleged miracle through the intercession of blessed Fr. Jerzy Popieluszko. For, it was the place where the healing of the French man Francois Audelan happened.

The Holy Mass, inaugurating the process was celebrated in the cloister of the Annunciation Sisters of Blessed Mary the Virgin in Thiais, in this diocese. It was attended by healed Francois with his wife and daughters. There were also: Fr. Bernard Brien, who had asked blessed Fr. Jerzy for help and the Polish nun s. Rozalia Oleniacz, taking care of pastoral ministry in the hospital in Creteil. The chapel was filled in with believers. At the altar – about 20 priests, the celebration of the Holy Mass was presided over by Fr. Jozef Grzywaczewski, the former rector of the Polish seminary in Paris, and the delegate of the bishop for this process. The bishop of the Creteil diocese, Michel Santier emphasized that the process starts in the cloister of the Annunciation Sisters, because this cloister is related to Poland through the foundation of the similar cloister of the Annunciation Sisters in Lichen, and Lichen is situated in the diocese of Wloclawek, in which Fr. Popieluszko died with martyr death. The bishop of Creteil emphasized an important role of the archbishop and the metropolitan of Warsaw, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz in this process, who first consulted a possibility of opening this process in the Vatican Congregation for Canonization Matters, and later he expressed his request for beginning the process procedure.

In the first part of the process session which has always an open character, bishop Santier accepted an oath from members of the Canonization Tribunal and also a list of witnesses who are supposed to be heard. Hearings have a closed character.

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„Niedziela” 39/2014

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl