Bishop Sipovich new file

14 "exclusively in favour of Belarus, in particular for the Greek-Catholic Church. To use it for any other purpose would be clearly the appropriation of somebody else’s (i.e. Greek Catholic, Belarusian) property. The dream of that person (i.e. the benefactress) was the foundation of a Uniate College in Rome". Princess Radzivill knew Abrantovich and had obviously trusted him. It must have beeen therefore something of a shock for her when four years later, in 1931, she learned that her wishes had been completely ignored. In the correspondence that ensued between her and Buchys she demanded that the money should be either returned to her or be used according to the original intention. Buchys cynically thanked her "for such a generous gift to our humble Congregation", and tried to convince her that everything was done in strict accordance with the Constitutions of the Marian Fathers and Canon Law. He advised her not to insist on her demand which "may only expose you to unnecesary legal expenses, because the duty of the General Council (of Marian Fathers – A.N .) and mine is to comply with the legal norms, obligatory in the Catholic Church, and that is what I am doing". The answer of the Princess was terse and short: "I don’t know Canon Law, but in my life I have seen many swindlers, whom a clever Jewish lawyer saved from prison with the help of texts from the Code which he twisted in all sorts of ways. For me and for many persons, whom I told of the behaviour of Fathers Abrantovich and Tsikota, this affair, seen in the light of the Seventh Commandment, is completely clear. In general any action which requires long and subtle explanations to prove its innocence, is suspect. Honest people don’t need eloquent arguments". On 13 November 1931 Buchys wrote to Abrantovich in Harbin: "With the sale of the house in Navahradak there may be difficulties. Princess Magdalena Radzivill demands the return of all that she gave to the Reverend Father (i.e. Abrantovich – A.N .), maintaining that the donation has not been used for the purpose for which it was destined". It is hard to say whether in the political circumstances of the time Princess Radzivill’s dream of having a Belarusian college in Rome had any chance of becoming a reality. What can be said with certainty is that Abrantovich, Tsikota and Buchys made it impossible. The "mystery of the diamond necklace" remains a blot on the memory of those priests 14 . Incidentally in her answer to Abrantovich’s first letter in 1927, Princess Radzivill wrote: "I am pleased to learn that this affair has at last taken a happy turn... I warmly commend the whole business to Saint Joseph... I consider the Rome foundation to be most useful". Thirty years later, in 1957, Sipovich in his life of Abrantovich summarises these words in the following manner: "The Princess (Radzivill) confirmed that the gift was given for the benefit of Belarus, in particular for the Greek Catholic Church, and that it was her dream to see the Belarusian Uniate College in Rome established. She was satisfied with the information, given by Abrantovich, and commended the whole affair to the protection of Saint Joseph". Then he goes on: "From what has been said above one can see with what sort of persons Father Abrantovich had the dealings and with what courage and honesty he defended them. It also explains where the Druia monastery got the means for its restoration, establishing of the novitiate, high school etc." 15 . Thus loyalty to the Marian Congregation won at the expense of truth... 14 For a detailed account of the "diamond necklace mystery" see: Nadson A. "Taiamnitsa bryl’antavaha kal’e Mahdaleny Radzivil", Mahdalena Radzivil i Hreka-Katalitskaia Tsarkva , London 2001, pp.12-43 15 Sipovich C., "Aitsets Arkhimandryt Fabian Abrantovich", Bozhym shliakham , No. 76-81, Paris 1957, p.12