To Russia for Love

ONE COULD call it a miracle, because for the first time since the advent of the Communist regime in Russia, a relic of Saint Anthony was able to set foot in the wide expanses of that boundless country.



The reliquary, consisting of a golden bust of our Saint carrying a relic housed in a glass casket, was accompanied by the Rector of the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, Fr. Enzo Poiana, and two other friars from the shrine, Fr. Alessandro Ratti and Fr. Andrea Massarin. The reliquary travelled for almost 5,000 kilometres through the lands of the former Soviet Union from 12 to 22 September.



This historic and ground breaking trip could simply not be ignored by our magazine, so we turned to Fr. Poiana for an account of the journey.





Fr. Poiana, why did it take so long for a relic of our Saint to set foot on Russian soil?



We have to bear in mind that Russia decided to open up its borders only 18 years ago, breaking an isolation lasting well over 70 years. The Russian government has now softened its stand on ‘foreign’ religious traditions, in other words, on denominations other than the Orthodox Church.



A window of opportunity opened up for us on the occasion of the inauguration in St Petersburg of a new church founded by Franciscans, and dedicated to our Saint.





How are the Friars Minor Conventual organised in Russia?



Out of a population of 141 million people, Russian Catholics comprise a mere 0.5 percent of the total. Now, despite the fall of Communism, the situation is still not a very easy one for Catholics in Russia.



Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, which heralded the beginning of a new era in the East of Europe, there have arisen six communities of Conventual Franciscans in Russia.



The most important one is located in Moscow, the capital. This community has a superior provincial, the Custos of Russia, Fr. Nikolaj Dubinin. There is another community in St Petersburg; a further one in Astrakan, 2,000 kilometres from Moscow, in the south of the country. Then there is the community of Elista, founded in 1995, and finally Kaluga and Chernyakhovsk which, however, we did not manage to visit during this pilgrimage.



The Franciscan community at St Petersburg was founded quite recently. Between 1995 and 2000 the attempt was made to strengthen the Franciscan presence in the city by erecting a building to house the community and a seminar.



The idea of buying land for a church came to us when we discovered that there was an ancient site in the city where Saint Anthony had been venerated. The site had been destroyed during the Soviet era, but its existence had not been lost in the collective memory of the underground Christian community.



The new church, ideal for the small Catholic community of St Petersburg, was inaugurated and consecrated on September 13 with the visit of our reliquary, and in the presence of the Apostolic Nunzio in Russia, Archbishop Antonio Mennini and the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Moscow, also known as Archdiocese of Mother of God. The church was also crowded with numerous priests who felt they could not miss out on such an important event.



On the following day, Sunday 14, three Russian novices professed Solemn Vows in the presence of the Custos of Russia, Fr. Nikolaj Dubinin. One of these novices had spent part of his novitiate here, at our Basilica in Padua.





Was it a difficult task to take such an important reliquary to those far off lands?



From the organisational aspect it was quite easy. We often smiled during the trip because the metal suitcase carrying the most important part of the reliquary – the glass casket – easily made it through every checkpoint, whereas we were always thoroughly searched. No one had anything to say against Saint Anthony!





How was the relic received by the faithful?



It was deeply moving to see the reverence with which the people received the relic. As soon as we arrived in Kaluga we found about 50 faithful waiting anxiously to welcome us.



On the following day we were met by other devotees who had travelled in coaches for over 700 kilometres during the night in order to venerate the relic. Catholics are not numerous in Russia, but their devotion is great.



When we arrived in Moscow, the reliquary was taken to the cathedral, where it was received by the Vicar General.



On Saturday we celebrated a solemn Mass in Latin, and I was so surprised to hear that the faithful even responded in Latin! This was followed by an uninterrupted procession of faithful in front of the reliquary. It was a most moving celebration, accompanied by the Gregorian chant of the choir of the cathedral and by a rich repertoire of other liturgical pieces.



On Sunday we celebrated the Eucharist in Russian, and so many people arrived that the parish priest had to celebrate Mass with the doors of the Cathedral open. After the Mass we took the reliquary in procession, and I personally blessed the people present. Even after we placed the reliquary back in the car they would not let us go – for a further three hours people kept arriving, eager to make physical contact with the Saint.





What are relations between Catholics and Orthodox like?



Rather strained. The leaders of both communities are talking to each other, but the ordinary Orthodox man-in-the-street still sees a Catholic as something of a heretic. One need but mention the fact than a member of the Orthodox Church is still subject to excommunication if they dare to enter a Catholic church.





How do Catholics live in Russia?



The Catholic community in Russia is a suffering community. They enjoy the same rights as their Orthodox brothers and sisters, but are still seen as an alien presence even if they are Russians.



The Conventual Franciscans, along with the Jesuits, are the only two Catholic Orders to have been legally recognised by the government, but this is only because our presence on Russian soil dates back to centuries before the Communists took over. This, however, did not prevent them from persecuting us. The Communist regime first tried to root out the ‘foreign’ religious presence, then, when it saw that this was impossible, it tried to gain control over the Orthodox hierarchy and outlawed all religious groups and denominations with the exception of the Orthodox Church. This is why this pilgrimage is so important for ourselves and our Russian Catholic brothers and sisters.





Is there any episode that has impressed you particularly during the trip?



There have been a few, but two in particular are worthy of mention.



The first was the meeting in Moscow with a 90-year-old woman who had sought out an interpreter because she desperately wanted to speak to me. The old lady told me that she had been in Siberia up until 10 years ago. She had been deported there with her whole family. During the time of exile she had prayed fervently to Saint Anthony for their return to Moscow. With tears in her eyes she told me that the Saint had fulfilled her desire, and that the dear Saint had even allowed her to see the Catholic church being able to practice her faith freely and undisturbed. She added that she had even received more than what she had bargained for because, once she had returned to Moscow, she was ‘lucky’ enough to find a home near the church, and this enables her to attend Mass every day despite the impediments of old age.



The other episode which has etched itself in my memory is the night trip from Astrakan to Rostov – 750 kilometres through an endless steppe under a silver moon which revealed the unique nature of the terrain, studded with fields and meadows.





Now that it’s over, what lessons have you learnt from this trip?



My desire to live up to my ministry with greater fidelity has been greatly strengthened by this trip because I have met so many Christians imbued with a simple yet vibrant faith, forged by years of suffering and persecution.



If discouragement sometimes leads us to think that Christianity has no future, it is really inspiring to meet people who have managed to keep their faith alive in extremely difficult conditions. It leads us to the conclusion that there is still room for hope; that there is a future for the Church even in our opulent societies.