St. (?) Tsar Nicholas II

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Antonius_Lupus

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The Russian Orthodox Church venerates murdered Tsar Nicholas II as a martyr and saint.

I am currently learning alot about the Eastern Catholic Church, and I was wondering if the Catholic Church considers Tsar Nicholas a saint?

Can I pray to him?
 
Antonius_Lupus said:
The Russian Orthodox Church venerates murdered Tsar Nicholas II as a martyr and saint.

I am currently learning alot about the Eastern Catholic Church, and I was wondering if the Catholic Church considers Tsar Nicholas a saint?

Can I pray to him?
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No, he’s not a Catholic saint.

Yes, you can, in private, but it’s not recommended.
 
Just a technicality, but I believe the czar and his family were canonized as passion bearers (something documented) rather than martyrs.
 
They were canonized as martyrs by ROCOR and as passion-bearers by the ROC-MP. Might be the other way around, but I think that’s right.

The “Last Romanovs” were exceptionally holy and devout people who suffered with great dignity the unfortunate trials the Lord saw fit to visit upon them.
 
I would add that it is sad that so many sensationalist stories have arises about Tsaritsa Alexandra and Grigorii Rasputin, implying or even sometimes flat-out stating they had a sexual affair. It’s simply just not true.

Much like how Queen Marie Antoinette’s character has been much maligned.
 
Tsar Nicholas and his family were holy people, but they were not Catholics and I can not recommend praying to any one that was not Catholic at death OR recognized as a Saint later on by the Catholic Church. May I suggest Blessed Karl I and Blessed Constantine XI as alternatives.
 
So basically they may have led holy lives, but they are not recognized as saints by the universal Church, right? :confused:
 
I think a more admirable member of the Romanovs is Alexandra’s sister The Grand Duchess Elisabeth Federovna. When her husband Sergei was killed, she sold her jewels and used the proceeds to found a convent - the Order of Martha and Mary. The nuns went out to nurse the poor of Moscow. She and some of the other Romanovs were murdered by being thrown down a mineshaft.
 
the Catholic Church does not claim authority to canonize non-Catholics
 
Antonius_Lupus said:
Interesting.

Could you explain further?
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Canonization normally is a long process starting with the local bishops endorsing private veneration.

It is exceedingly rare for those not in union with Rome to be recognized by a bishop in union. It isn’t impossible. Just exceedingly rare.

Most “Non-Catholics” in the list of canonized saints are EO, having been added as part of the various reunifications. This is how we get St. Gregory Palamas…

Then again, certain RO saints are well known in Catholic Circles. Amongst them, St. German (aka St. Herman) of Alaska. While not in the list of Canonized Catholic Saints, his work christianizing the Alaska Natives was both profound and respectful. Given that his Icon is present at St. Nicholas, and was reverenced by Eparch William (now of Passaic), there is at least some tacit recognition.
 
Interesting thread! I wonder if, since Our Lady visited Fatima in 1917 to beg the world to consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart, she was, at least in part, trying to prevent the murder of the Tsar and his family, as well as the massive suffering that would follow in his wake.

The Catholic convert, Caryl Houselander, wrote in her book “A Rocking Horse Catholic”, that one night in July 1918, she saw what she later described as “a huge Russian icon spread across the sky.” The icon she saw was Christ crucified lifted up and looking down, brooding over the world. Shortly after she read in a newspaper article about the assassination of Russian Tsar Nicholas II. She said the face she saw in the newspaper photograph was the face she saw spread out over the sky as the crucified Christ.
 
The Russian Orthodox Church venerates murdered Tsar Nicholas II as a martyr and saint.
Click to expand...
I am currently learning alot about the Eastern Catholic Church, and I was wondering if the Catholic Church considers Tsar Nicholas a saint?
Click to expand...
Can I pray to him?
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It does appear that the Tsar may have had a change of heart after the 1905 Revolution; before that he assented to the supression of the Greek Catholics within his realm.

Several clergy of the Russian Greek Catholic Church wrote Tsar Nicholas II a letter in 1909 at Pascha; he sent a short but gracious reply acknowledging them to be in communion with the Holy See.

Regarding private devotion of Orthodox saints, Pope John Paul II mentioned St. Seraphim of Sarov in Crossing the Threshold of Hope.

Interesting point about Fatima; it was also 1917 that the Russian Greek Catholic Church had its Sobor presided over by Blessed Exarch Leonid Feodorov and Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.
FDRLB
 
Of course not everything that JPII did should necessarily be endorsed. Unless you’d like half-naked women parading bowls of censers up and down the aisle during Mass or kissing certain texts…

Or unless you think the Pope is somehow infallible in everything he says or does.
 
Alexios said:
Of course not everything that JPII did should necessarily be endorsed. Unless you’d like half-naked women parading bowls of censers up and down the aisle during Mass or kissing certain texts…

Or unless you think the Pope is somehow infallible in everything he says or does.
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Wowowow wait a moment.
John Paul 2 was perhaps one of THE greatest men of our time… Leave him out of this. He is a man that many people, Catholics, Orthodox, Buddhists, etc… all have a high respect for. I would suggest a comprehensive study of the man’s life and maybe get a sense of who he really was versus your negative comments against such a great man.
 
I knew the JPII parade would come marching in within a matter of seconds.

I am NOT saying that JPII wasn’t a great and holy man. Let me say it unequivocally so no halfway sane person could misinterpret me: I think he was!

BUT he made many decisions with which we are FREE to disagree, and on top of that, are really obliged to cling to Tradition instead of what sometimes seems to be almost a personality cult. My POINT was, just because JPII prayed to a non-Catholic saint doesn’t mean it’s advisable to do so. He did lots of things that were utterly amazing, and BEING HUMAN, he also did a few things which perhaps should be avoided by us much simpler Catholics who are not graced with the faith that this amazing man must have had.

This idea that everything the Pope says or does is somehow not open to ever being criticized or even questioned. This is called papolatry, folks. Not Catholicism.
 
Alexios said:
Of course not everything that JPII did should necessarily be endorsed. Unless you’d like half-naked women parading bowls of censers up and down the aisle during Mass or kissing certain texts…
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Yes, I have indeed noticed all those parishes where the infamous “priests loyal to John Paul” have hired naked dancing girls* and stocked up on Korans.

Thank God for shepherds like our own beloved Cardinal Mahoney in Los Angeles, who have so firmly and consistently rejected all of JPII’s evil schemes to destroy the church. 😉

(*And everyone’s heard how EWTN was fined by the FCC after Mother Angelica joined the procession. 😉 )
 
Allyson was being sarcastic and the guy Alexios is accusing of papolotry is Orthodox.
 
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