Josaphat Chichkov
Encyclopedia
Robert-Matthew Chichkov (b. February 9, 1884) in Plovdiv
, Bulgaria
, was a priest, rector and teacher sentenced to death
in the early 1950s.
He came from a large and fervent Latin rite Catholic family. He entered the Assumptionist high school seminary in Adrianopolis and entered the Assumptionist novitiate in Phanaraki, Turkey in 1900. His name in religion was Josaphat. He was ordained a priest in the Latin rite in Malines, Belgium, in 1909 after studying philosophy and theology at Louvain University
.
Once back in Bulgaria, he taught at St. Augustine College in Plovdiv and at St. Michael College in Varna. Later he moved to Yambol where he served as superior and rector of the high school seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius
, as pastor of the local Latin rite parish, and as chaplain to the Oblate Sisters of the Assumption. In 1937 he returned to the college in Varna where he served as rector and teacher until he was arrested in 1951.
He was a man of great activity, enormous erudition, a fine musician, an eloquent preacher, and a much appreciated educator, with a fine sense of humor
and an extraordinary gift for story-telling
. He was responsible for enlarging the Yambol seminary to include seminarians of both rites, Latin and Byzantine-Slav, and found ways to integrate students into one community. In order to cope with the financial needs of the institution he organized fund-raising
activities and taught French to teachers, civil servants
, and Bulgarian army
officers.
He had a particular interest in the latest technology and introduced a ham radio
and movie projector
at the seminary.
Josaphat Chichkov was arrested in December 1951. After what international organization
s universally considered a show trial
which began on September 29, 1952 and ended with a guilty verdict
and a death sentence
on October 3, Fr. Chickov, two of his Assumptionists companions, Fr. Kamen Vitchev and Fr. Pavel Djidjov, and a Passionist bishop, Most Rev. Eugene Bossilkov, were shot to death, without public notice
, at 11:30 PM the evening of November 11, 1952.
Fr. Chichkov was declared a martyr for the faith and beatified by Pope John Paul II
in Plovdiv on May 26, 2002.
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. Chichkov.
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...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, was a priest, rector and teacher sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
in the early 1950s.
He came from a large and fervent Latin rite Catholic family. He entered the Assumptionist high school seminary in Adrianopolis and entered the Assumptionist novitiate in Phanaraki, Turkey in 1900. His name in religion was Josaphat. He was ordained a priest in the Latin rite in Malines, Belgium, in 1909 after studying philosophy and theology at Louvain University
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven is a Dutch-speaking university in Flanders, Belgium.It is located at the centre of the historic town of Leuven, and is a prominent part of the city, home to the university since 1425...
.
Once back in Bulgaria, he taught at St. Augustine College in Plovdiv and at St. Michael College in Varna. Later he moved to Yambol where he served as superior and rector of the high school seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessaloniki in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Bulgaria, Great Moravia and Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they...
, as pastor of the local Latin rite parish, and as chaplain to the Oblate Sisters of the Assumption. In 1937 he returned to the college in Varna where he served as rector and teacher until he was arrested in 1951.
He was a man of great activity, enormous erudition, a fine musician, an eloquent preacher, and a much appreciated educator, with a fine sense of humor
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
and an extraordinary gift for story-telling
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
. He was responsible for enlarging the Yambol seminary to include seminarians of both rites, Latin and Byzantine-Slav, and found ways to integrate students into one community. In order to cope with the financial needs of the institution he organized fund-raising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
activities and taught French to teachers, civil servants
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
, and Bulgarian army
Military of Bulgaria
The Military of Bulgaria, officially the Bulgarian Army represents the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria. The Commander-in-Chief is the President of Bulgaria . The Ministry of Defence is in charge of political leadership while military command remains in the hands of the General Staff,...
officers.
He had a particular interest in the latest technology and introduced a ham radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
and movie projector
Movie projector
A movie projector is an opto-mechanical device for displaying moving pictures by projecting them on a projection screen. Most of the optical and mechanical elements, except for the illumination and sound devices, are present in movie cameras.-Physiology:...
at the seminary.
Josaphat Chichkov was arrested in December 1951. After what international organization
International organization
An intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization composed primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organizations...
s universally considered a show trial
Show trial
The term show trial is a pejorative description of a type of highly public trial in which there is a strong connotation that the judicial authorities have already determined the guilt of the defendant. The actual trial has as its only goal to present the accusation and the verdict to the public as...
which began on September 29, 1952 and ended with a guilty verdict
Guilt
Guilt is the state of being responsible for the commission of an offense. It is also a cognitive or an emotional experience that occurs when a person realizes or believes—accurately or not—that he or she has violated a moral standard, and bears significant responsibility for that...
and a death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
on October 3, Fr. Chickov, two of his Assumptionists companions, Fr. Kamen Vitchev and Fr. Pavel Djidjov, and a Passionist bishop, Most Rev. Eugene Bossilkov, were shot to death, without public notice
Public notice
Public notice is a notice given to the public regarding certain types of legal proceedings.-By government:Public notices are issued by a government agency or legislative body in certain rulemaking or lawmaking proceeding....
, at 11:30 PM the evening of November 11, 1952.
Fr. Chichkov was declared a martyr for the faith and beatified 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 ...
in Plovdiv on May 26, 2002.
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. Chichkov.