Vladimir Ghika or Ghica (25 December 1873 – 16 May 1954) was a
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
diplomat and essayist who, after his conversion from
Romanian Orthodoxy to
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, became a priest. He was a member of the princely
Ghica family
The Ghica family ( ro, Ghica; sq, Gjika; el, Γκίκας, ''Gikas'') was a noble family active in Wallachia, Moldavia and in the Kingdom of Romania, between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Ghica family produced many voivodes of Wallachia a ...
, which ruled
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
at various times from the 17th to the 19th century.
He
died in prison in May 1954 after his arrest by the
Communist regime
A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...
.
Biography
Early life
Vladimir Ghika was born on
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
of 1873 in
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
(now
Istanbul
Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
). His father was John Ghika, diplomat, minister plenipotentiary in
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
; his mother Alexandrina was born Moret de Blaremberg (van Blarembergue) in a Flemish-Russian family ; he had four brothers and a sister: Gregory, Alexander, George and Ella (who both died at an early age), and Demetrius Ghika (future ambassador and minister of foreign affairs). He was the grandson of the last Prince sovereign of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
,
Prince Gregory V Ghika, who ruled from 1849–1856.
He was raised with the
Eastern Orthodox faith. In 1878, in order to give a good education to the children, the family moved to
Toulouse
Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. There, they frequented the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
community, because the Orthodox church was not represented in the area. Ghika 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, and History.
Ghika returned to
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
due to an attack of
angina pectoris
Angina, also known as angina pectoris, is chest pain or pressure, usually caused by insufficient blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardium). It is most commonly a symptom of coronary artery disease.
Angina is typically the result of obstru ...
and 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 enrolled in the Faculty of Philosophy and Theology. At the ''Angelicum'', Ghika completed a licentiate in Philosophy and a Doctorate in Theology in 1905. Soon after, he converted to the Catholic faith in 1902.
Pilgrimage
![Vl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/Vl._Ghika_porte_le_drapeau_%C3%A9cussonn%C3%A9_du_Coeur_Sacr%C3%A9_de_J%C3%A9sus_de_Roumanie_%28Agence_Rol%29.jpeg)
Ghika wanted to become a priest or monk, but
Pius X
Pope Pius X ( it, Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of ...
advised him to give up the idea, at least for a while, and to dedicate himself to secular apostolate instead. He became one of the pioneers of the lay apostolate.
After returning to Romania, he dedicated himself to works of charity and opened the first free clinic in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
called Mariae Bethlehem. He also set the foundation for a great hospital and
sanatorium
A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...
named after
Vincent de Paul
Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor.
In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. Afte ...
, founded the first free hospital in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
and the first ambulance, thereby becoming founder of the first Catholic charity work in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. He was dedicated to patient care while participating in health services in the
Balkan War
The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defea ...
in 1913, without the fear of cholera in Zimnicea. He was also in charge of diplomatic missions among the Avezzano earthquake victims of tuberculosis of Hospice of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
On 7 October 1923, Ghika was ordained a priest in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
by
Cardinal Dubois, Archbishop of the city. He served as a priest in France until 1939. Shortly after Ghika was ordained, the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...
authorized him to celebrate the
Byzantine Rite. Prince Ghika thereby became the first bi-ritual Romanian priest.
On 13 May 1931, the
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
appointed Ghika to be an
Apostolic Protonotary
In the Roman Catholic Church, protonotary apostolic (PA; Latin: ''protonotarius apostolicus'') is the title for a member of the highest non-episcopal college of prelates in the Roman Curia or, outside Rome, an honorary prelate on whom the pop ...
, but he was reluctant to accept it. He worked worldwide, including
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
,
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
Congo,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, and
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, among others. Later, in jest,
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City fro ...
called him an "apostolic vagabond".
Imprisonment and death
On 3 August 1939, he returned to
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, where he was caught in the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. He refused to leave
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
at that time so that he could be with the poor and sick. However, he left eventually for the same reason in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
when they started 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 18 November 1952, because of his support for the Catholic Church in communion with Rome and his opposition to the
schismatic church that the regime was creating. He was charged for "high treason" and threatened, beaten, tortured and processed. Eventually, he was imprisoned at
Jilava
Jilava is a commune in Ilfov county, Muntenia, Romania, near Bucharest. It is composed of a single village, Jilava.
The name derives from a Romanian word of Slavic origin ( Bulgarian жилав ''žilav'' (tough), which passed into Romanian as '' ...
on 16 May, and he died in 1954 due to the treatment to which he was subjected.
Beatification
![Vladimir Ghika Relic Bucharest](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Vladimir_Ghika_Relic_Bucharest.jpg)
Ghika was proposed for
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
by the
Archdiocese of Bucharest, based on a dossier with his biography submitted to the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
In the Catholic Church, the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, previously named the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (), is the dicastery of the Roman Curia that oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, pass ...
in the Vatican. On 27 March 2013, Pope Francis declared Ghika to be a martyr. He was beatified on 31 August 2013.
Education
*1893 – School of Toulouse (France)
*1893–1895 – Faculty of Political Sciences in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
; attending courses in Medicine, Botany, Art, Literature, Philosophy, History, and Law
*1895-1898 – Continued his studies in private
*1898–1905 – Faculty of Philosophy and Theology; obtained a Degree in Philosophy and a Doctorate in Theology
*1904–1906 – Continues to study History
Writings
Although he had culture and capacity, he avoided producing personal writings. He wrote only because he was forced by circumstances and needs. He did research work in the Vatican archives, publishing some of the results in the ''Revue Catolique''. He also wrote magazine articles in ''Literary Talk'', ''
La Revue Hebdomadaire
''La Revue hebdomadaire'' was a literary magazine founded in 1892 by and published until 1939.
History
Until the beginning of 20th century, the journal was directed by Pierre Mainguet with as editor. In 1908, it absorbed the monthly magazine '.
...
'', ''Les Études'', ''Le Correspondant'', ''La Revue des Jeunes'', and ''La Documentation Catholique''. His short personal meditations were subsequently published in various editions as ''Pensées pour la suite des jours''.
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''
eem
The Eem (; formerly the Amer) is a river in the central Netherlands with a length of approximately .
The river is fed by the Vallei Canal and a number of Veluwe creeks, the most important of which are the Heiligenberger Beek, the Barneveldse Beek ...
Mgr Vladimir Ghika. Presentes par Yvonne Estienne, 1970; posthumous publication that collects various other unpublished thoughts
Writings published in Romanian
*Our Lady and the Holy Sacrament. Speech delivered by Monsignor Ghika opening in November 1928 Eucharistic Congress in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
*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)
Legacy
In 1970, the Fraternity of the Transfiguration was founded; the Fraternity's spirituality stems from Vladimir Ghika.
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.
References
External links
Vladimir Ghika
Blog Postulation
Archdiocese of Bucharest
*
To My Brother in Exile' (2009)
* Serban Nichifor
''Missa Beatus Vladimir Ghika''(2017)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ghika, Vladimir
Romanian Roman Catholic priests
Romanian beatified people
Romanian diplomats
Romanian essayists
Vladimir
Vladimir may refer to:
Names
* Vladimir (name) for the Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak and Slovenian spellings of a Slavic name
* Uladzimir for the Belarusian version of the name
* Volodymyr for the Ukr ...
Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy
Romanian anti-communist clergy
Romanian people who died in prison custody
Prisoners who died in Securitate custody
1873 births
1954 deaths
Romanian people of Albanian descent
Beatifications by Pope Francis
20th-century Christian martyrs
20th-century venerated Christians
Members of the Romanian Academy elected posthumously
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni