Jan Paul Lenga

Jan Paul Lenga (born March 28, 1950, in Horodok, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine) is a former Catholic bishop of the diocese of Karaganda.

His Excellency

Jan Paweł Lenga

M.I.C.
Bishop Emeritus of Karaganda
ChurchCatholic
DioceseKaraganda
Appointed7 July 1999
In office1999-2011
SuccessorJanusz Kaleta
Orders
Ordination28 May 1980
by Vincentas Sladkevičius
Consecration28 May 1991
by Francesco Colasuonno
RankArchbishop
Personal details
Born (1950-03-28) March 28, 1950
Grodek Podolski, today's Horodok, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine
NationalityPolish
Previous postApostolic Administrator of Kazakhstan (1991-1999)
Titular Bishop of Arba (1991-1999)

Biography

His family moved to Latvia, where the former chaplain worked on the railroad. Lenga spent his one-year novitiate in the Marian Order, then a week visiting a monk, his spiritual mentor. From Latvia, he moved to Kaunas, Lithuania where there was one of only two Catholic seminaries in the then Soviet Union. He secretly graduated from the seminary, and was ordained in secret on May 28, 1980 by Bishop Vincentas Sladkevicius. In 1981, he arrived in Kazakhstan, where he performed pastoral ministry for 10 years. Lenga was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, and Titular Bishop of Arba on April 13, 1991. He was consecrated a bishop on May 28, 1991. Lenga was next appointed bishop of Karaganda on August 6, 1999. He received the personal title of Archbishop on May 17, 2003.

On February 5, 2011 Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Lenga, which he admittedly filed in accord with canon 401 § 2 of the Code of Canon Law. Diocesan bishops, who due to ill health or some other compelling reason is not fully be able to perform their duties, are urged to submit their resignation. However, Archbishop Lenga denies ever filing such a resignation. Lenga was appointed as the successor to the apostolic administrator of Atyrau, Bishop Janusz Kaleta. At this time, the retired archbishop was a resident of the monastic house of the Congregation of priests.

Declaration of Truths

On June 10, 2019, Lenga along with cardinals Raymond Leo Burke and Jānis Pujats, with Kazakh bishops Athanasius Schneider and Tomasz Peta published a 40-point "Declaration of Truths" claiming to reaffirm traditional Church teaching. The bishops wrote that such a declaration was necessary in a time of "almost universal doctrinal confusion and disorientation." Specific passages in the declaration implicitly relate to several writings by Pope Francis. The declaration states that "the religion born of faith in Jesus Christ" is the "only religion positively willed by God," seemingly alluding to a document signed by Pope Francis on February 4 called "Human Fraternity" which stated that the "diversity of religions" is "willed by God." Following recent changes to the Catechism to oppose capital punishment, the declaration states that the Church "did not err" in teaching that civil authorities may "lawfully exercise capital punishment" when it is "truly necessary" and to preserve the "just order of societies."[1]

Awards

Jan Paul Lenga was awarded the Commander's Cross of Merit and the Order of the Republic of Poland. The awards were presented to Archbishop Jan Paul Lenga on September 2, 2011 on behalf of the President of Poland by Governor Peter Flerek from Wielkopolska.

References
  1. Pentin, Edward (June 10, 2019). "New 'Declaration of Truths' Affirms Key Church Teachings". June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
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