Pavel Djidjov
Encyclopedia
Pavel Djidjov was a Bulgarian theologian who was executed after a show trial and beatified
in 2002 by Pope John Paul II
.
family in Plovdiv
. He was baptized on August 2 and given the name Joseph. He took the name Pavel (Paul) when he entered the Assumptionist
novitiate in Nozeroy
, France, in October, 1938.
To achieve his childhood ambition of attaining priesthood, he entered the Assumptionist-sponsored St. Augustine College in Plovdiv, where he was considered a good student, especially in mathematics. After his novititate, he went on to study theology in Lormoy, France, near Paris, during World War II
. For health reasons he returned to Bulgaria in 1942 to complete his theological studies and was ordained on January 26, 1945. He later continued his studies in economics and social sciences. His first assignment was as a teacher at the Assumptionist high school in Varna
, where he was closely watched by the secret police. Not long thereafter he was named to be the treasurer at St. Augustine College in Plovdiv and served there until the institution was closed by the Communists in 1948.
He was particularly appreciated by students and others for his piety, sense of humor, deep faith, ecumenical spirit, and bravery before the Communist regime. Often he risked personal safety by defending the rights of the Church in public and visiting political prisoners.
that swept the bloc in the years after World War II (e.g. the arrest of Archbishop Aloysius Stepinac
in Yugoslavia
in 1946, of Cardinal József Mindszenty in Hungary
in 1948, of Archbishop Josef Beran in Czechoslovakia
in 1950, and of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in Poland
in 1953). Already as a student in 1945, Djidjov had engaged in polemics with Communist students and professors and was placed on a blacklist.
A month before his arrest in July 1952, he wrote to the Assumptionist procurator in Rome, Fr. Rémi Kokel, concerning a colleague they hadn't heard from in a long time: "We are distressed, having heard nothing of Fr. Josaphat (Chichkov) for six months now. There will be three trials within a week against Catholic priests. The first one is already over: death penalty for a diocesan priest of the Latin rite. Tomorrow it will be the trial of a diocesan priest of the Slavonic rite, in Sofia; the day after tomorrow, that of a Capuchin. And these will not be the last ones, surely. May God’s will be done." One month later he, too, was imprisoned.
Besides Djidjov, two other Assumptionist brothers were imprisoned: Fr. Joseph Chichkov and Fr. Kamen Vitchev. The latter followed the Byzantine Rite
, whereas the others followed the Latin Rite--in their martyrdom, they united the two main Catholic rites, a point reiterated by Pope John Paul II in 2002. All three had been schooled in Belgium
and France, and were accused of spying for the French government. After what international organizations universally considered a show trial, which began on September 29, 1952, and ended with a guilty verdict and a death sentence on October 3, the three, together with the Passionist
bishop Eugene Bossilkov, were shot to death in prison, without public notice, at 11:30 PM, on November 11, 1952. Their bodies were buried in a communal grave and have not been recovered.
Fr. Pavel Djidjov was declared a martyr
for the faith and beatified
by Pope John Paul II in Plovdiv on May 26, 2002. The pope delivered a homily on the occasion, during his 2002 visit to Bulgaria. Later, he commented that the Eucharistic celebration during which he beatified Djidjov, Vitchev, and Chichkov was "the high point of my brief but intense visit in Bulgaria."
On July 28, 2010, the Bulgarian parliament passed a law officially rehabilitating all of those who had been condemned by the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1952, including Fr. Djidjov.
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
in 2002 by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Education, career
Pavel Djidjov was born to a Latin rite CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
family in Plovdiv
Plovdiv
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria after Sofia with a population of 338,153 inhabitants according to Census 2011. Plovdiv's history spans some 6,000 years, with traces of a Neolithic settlement dating to roughly 4000 BC; it is one of the oldest cities in Europe...
. He was baptized on August 2 and given the name Joseph. He took the name Pavel (Paul) when he entered the Assumptionist
Assumptionists
The Augustinians of the Assumption constitute a congregation of Catholic religious , founded in Nîmes, southern France, by Fr. Emmanuel d'Alzon in 1845, initially approved by Rome in 1857 and definitively approved in 1864 . The current Rule of Life of the congregation draws its inspiration from...
novitiate in Nozeroy
Nozeroy
Nozeroy is a commune in the Jura department in Franche-Comté in eastern France.-Demographics:As of the census of 1999, the population was 422.The estimate for 2005 was 398.-References:*...
, France, in October, 1938.
To achieve his childhood ambition of attaining priesthood, he entered the Assumptionist-sponsored St. Augustine College in Plovdiv, where he was considered a good student, especially in mathematics. After his novititate, he went on to study theology in Lormoy, France, near Paris, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. For health reasons he returned to Bulgaria in 1942 to complete his theological studies and was ordained on January 26, 1945. He later continued his studies in economics and social sciences. His first assignment was as a teacher at the Assumptionist high school in Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
, where he was closely watched by the secret police. Not long thereafter he was named to be the treasurer at St. Augustine College in Plovdiv and served there until the institution was closed by the Communists in 1948.
He was particularly appreciated by students and others for his piety, sense of humor, deep faith, ecumenical spirit, and bravery before the Communist regime. Often he risked personal safety by defending the rights of the Church in public and visiting political prisoners.
Arrest and trial
As a Soviet satellite, Bulgaria suffered from the wave of anti-Church legislationPersecution of Christians in Warsaw Pact countries
Before and after the October Revolution of November 7, 1917 there was a movement within the Soviet Union to unite all of the people of the world under Communist rule . This included the Eastern European bloc countries as well as the Balkan States...
that swept the bloc in the years after World War II (e.g. the arrest of Archbishop Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Stepinac
Aloysius Viktor Stepinac , also known as Blessed Aloysius Stepinac, was a Croatian Catholic cardinal and Archbishop of Zagreb from 1937 to 1960. In 1998 he was declared a martyr and beatified by Pope John Paul II....
in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
in 1946, of Cardinal József Mindszenty in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in 1948, of Archbishop Josef Beran in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1950, and of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in 1953). Already as a student in 1945, Djidjov had engaged in polemics with Communist students and professors and was placed on a blacklist.
A month before his arrest in July 1952, he wrote to the Assumptionist procurator in Rome, Fr. Rémi Kokel, concerning a colleague they hadn't heard from in a long time: "We are distressed, having heard nothing of Fr. Josaphat (Chichkov) for six months now. There will be three trials within a week against Catholic priests. The first one is already over: death penalty for a diocesan priest of the Latin rite. Tomorrow it will be the trial of a diocesan priest of the Slavonic rite, in Sofia; the day after tomorrow, that of a Capuchin. And these will not be the last ones, surely. May God’s will be done." One month later he, too, was imprisoned.
Besides Djidjov, two other Assumptionist brothers were imprisoned: Fr. Joseph Chichkov and Fr. Kamen Vitchev. The latter followed the Byzantine Rite
Byzantine Rite
The Byzantine Rite, sometimes called the Rite of Constantinople or Constantinopolitan Rite is the liturgical rite used currently by all the Eastern Orthodox Churches, by the Greek Catholic Churches , and by the Protestant Ukrainian Lutheran Church...
, whereas the others followed the Latin Rite--in their martyrdom, they united the two main Catholic rites, a point reiterated by Pope John Paul II in 2002. All three had been schooled in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and France, and were accused of spying for the French government. After what international organizations universally considered a show trial, which began on September 29, 1952, and ended with a guilty verdict and a death sentence on October 3, the three, together with the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
bishop Eugene Bossilkov, were shot to death in prison, without public notice, at 11:30 PM, on November 11, 1952. Their bodies were buried in a communal grave and have not been recovered.
Fr. Pavel Djidjov was declared a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
for the faith and beatified
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by Pope John Paul II in Plovdiv on May 26, 2002. The pope delivered a homily on the occasion, during his 2002 visit to Bulgaria. Later, he commented that the Eucharistic celebration during which he beatified Djidjov, Vitchev, and Chichkov was "the high point of my brief but intense visit in Bulgaria."
On July 28, 2010, the Bulgarian parliament passed a law officially rehabilitating all of those who had been condemned by the People's Republic of Bulgaria in 1952, including Fr. Djidjov.