CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

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[ARCHDIOCESE] OF KRAKOW

BEATIFICATION AND CANONIZATION PROCESS

OF THE SERVANT OF GOD PAWEŁ SMOLIKOWSKI

PRIEST OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE RESURRECTION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

(1849-1926)

DECREE ON THE HEROIC VIRTUES

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. …I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” (1 Cor 9:19,22)

             This confession of the Apostle to the Nations, who shows his identification with the Lord Jesus as a model of life for apostles of all times, best summarizes the deepest spiritual convictions of the Servant of God Paweł Smolikowski and the admirable style of his numerous apostolic and pastoral endeavors. The true essence of his inner life was a constant and loving dialogue with the Lord Jesus and a daily bond with Him through the heroic imitation of His life as the Savior. This bond with Christ, who loved people so much that He became their servant, was the force that compelled Father Paweł to transcend himself and identify with others to better serve them and save at least those whom God's will placed in his path. 

The Servant of God was born in Tver, Russia, on February 4, 1849, and was baptized on March 13. His father was a military engineer, and his mother came from a noble family. After the fall of Poland's uprising against the Tsarist regime (1830-1831), both being Poles, they found themselves in Russia. In his family home, Paweł not only breathed the atmosphere of deep religiosity but also received his first intellectual formation, learning, among other things, French, German, English, and Russian. Ten years after his birth, the family moved to Warsaw. 

In the meantime, Paweł began to increasingly realize his calling to the priesthood and religious life, which he managed to fulfill after entering the novitiate of the newly founded Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord. He took his first vows in 1868, perpetual vows on March 5, 1873, and was ordained a priest in the Eastern rite on April 15 of that year, with the intention of undertaking missionary work among the Bulgarian Uniates, hoping to contribute to the unification of Russia with the Church. Initially, however, he had to replace the novice master at Mentorella, near Rome, which gave him the opportunity to complete his studies with a doctorate in theology. 

In 1874, he arrived in Bulgaria as an educator and missionary. A few years later, he moved to Lviv, in today's Ukraine. After years of intense ministry, especially among children and youth, he was appointed rector of the Polish College in Rome. As a result of this educational work, an original pedagogical system was developed, still practiced by his spiritual sons today. In Rome, he also held numerous positions within his Congregation, including the general superiorship, to which he was elected in 1895. His ten-year generalate was characterized by concern for the spiritual life of his confreres but was not free from tensions, primarily caused by the introduction of new Constitutions, which not everyone shared. 

In 1905, Father Paweł was reappointed rector of the Polish College in Rome. However, when World War I broke out, the Servant of God, as a citizen of the Habsburg Empire, had to leave Italy, which was in conflict with Austria. For this reason, in 1915, he moved to Kęty, in Poland, where he served as chaplain to the Sisters of the Resurrection and visitor of the Resurrectionists in the countries of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy and in missions in the East. 

After the end of the war, he continued to serve as rector of the Polish College for two more years, before moving to Krakow in 1921, where he became the novice master and engaged in preaching the word of God and spiritual direction. During this period, he systematized, developed, and disseminated the paschal spirituality inherited from the Founders of his Congregation, which, thanks to the example of his life and numerous publications, became a valuable treasure for the Resurrectionists and the entire Church. From 1924, his health began to deteriorate, and signs of progressive paralysis appeared.

In all the aforementioned periods of his life, the Servant of God responded to God's call with enthusiasm and consistency. This response was a sign of his desire to seek the path of perfection and walk it with generosity. His great faith, nourished by daily prayer and Eucharistic and Marian spirituality, was notable. He was characterized by a fervent love that directed his life towards service to God and neighbor. Complete surrender to God's will, precise fulfillment of priestly duties, dedication to souls, and a spirit of mortification as reparation for offenses against God's honor were his first thoughts and most important daily actions. From these arose a deep pastoral love, modeled on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in whose merits he placed all his trust.

He lived in the presence of the Lord and, especially in moments of trials and difficulties, showed gentle courage and prudent moderation. The testimonies of his unwavering fidelity to the Church and its teaching office were numerous. The “inner climate” of his spiritual profile was characterized by deep humility, thanks to which he always felt like a simple instrument in the hands of the Lord, to whom he was immensely grateful for his priestly and consecrated life calling.

The Servant of God ended his earthly life on September 11, 1926. His funeral was attended by crowds of confreres, clergy, and faithful, a visible sign of respect and conviction of the holiness of his life and gratitude for the legacy he left behind.

            Based on this reputation for holiness, from May 24, 1966, to April 29, 1968, an informative process and two rogatory processes were conducted at the Archdiocesan Curia in Krakow, first in Krakow and later in Rome. Their legal validity was confirmed by this Congregation by a decree dated May 17, 1991. After the preparation of the Positio, a discussion took place, according to the applicable procedures, on whether the Servant of God demonstrated heroic virtue in practicing virtues. On September 14, 2010, a Special Meeting of Theological Consultants took place, which concluded with a positive outcome. On December 5, 2017, the Cardinals and Bishops at the Ordinary Session, which I, Cardinal Angelo Amato, presided over, recognized that the Servant of God practiced the theological and cardinal virtues and other related virtues heroically.

After preparing a detailed report on all these matters for the Holy Father Francis by the Cardinal Prefect, His Holiness, accepting and approving the decision of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, today declared:

In the case in question, it is stated that the Servant of God Paweł Smolikowski, a priest of the Congregation of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, practiced the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity towards both God and neighbor, as well as the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude, and other related virtues, to a heroic degree.

This decree, the Supreme Pontiff ordered to be published and included in the acts of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Given in Rome, on the 18th day of December in the year of Our Lord 2017

ANGELUS Card. AMATO, S. D. B.

Prefect 

+MARCELLUS BARTOLUCCI

Titular Archbishop of Bevagna

Secretary