Funeral of Father Bernard Brien, mediator of an unexplained healing

In the heart of the old Saint-Maur (Val-de-Marne), in the Saint-Nicolas church, the faithful arrive in dispersed order. Through a summer morning mausade, the Catholics of the Diocese of Créteil met, despite the holidays, to honor the memory of the priest Bernard Brien, 77 years old. Surrounded by Mgr Dominique Blanchet, bishop of Créteil, and many local priests or who came from Vendée and Anjou, the funerals were held calm and modesty, thus highlighting his “discreet love” for his parishioners and his “quiet strength”.

A busy life in the shadow of his “twin brother”

Sick for a long time, Father Bernard Brien had a thousand lives and a small local notoriety which has exceeded the borders of France. Coming from a large family, he grew up in a practicing home, rubbing shoulders with religious communities and Catholic establishments. Very young, he “played the priest” on a small improvised altar in his room, confided his sister during the ceremony. Scout and serving as an altar, this nephew of priest and nuns had the thirst to “love and transmit”, according to his son who came to testify.

Married and divorced twice (1), father and grandfather, this former salesperson “Flambeur” converted to the Beatitudes community, in 2004, in the fifties-the age of the questioning. Until gradually thinking about ordination. “He opened the door to Christ late,” notes his friend Angevin, Father Michel Fromont, during the homily. Ordered in 2012, at 65, for him “conversion was serious. He wanted to give everything ”.

PRESTE COMPANY OF THE AMONEMBER OF THE ALBERT-CHENEVIER Hospital in Créteil (Val-de-Marne), his life changed on September 14, 2012. That day, Father Brien, ordered for four months, is called to a patient, François Audelan. The latter had suffered from extra medullary leukemia for eleven years and lived his last hours. After administering him the sacrament of the sick, the priest tends to the wife of François Audelan, Chantal, an image of the blessed father Jerzy Popiełuszko. On the back of the bookmark is the prayer for the canonization of this Polish martyr, killed in 1984 by the security services of the communist regime.

Father Brien adds: “Today, Jerzy, it’s your birthday, it’s also mine, so if you can, do something for our brother François …” Indeed, Father Brien came back from a diocesan pilgrimage to Poland. By collecting himself on the grave of Father Popiełuszko, he had discovered that he was born not only the same day, but also the same year as him, on September 14, 1947.

The next day, François Audelan “is difficult to get up, while he was in a semi-coma,” says his wife. And to continue: “He opened his eyes and asked:” What happened to me? “”. The doctors had nevertheless warned relatives to prepare for death. A few weeks later, the latter noted with amazement that François Audelan no longer presents any trace of cancer. “One of the teachers exclaimed:” It’s a miracle! ” Remember Chantal Audelan.

The intercession of the Polish martyr

A miracle for some, an “unexplained healing” for others. The story of François Audelan in any case marked the spirits, and above all marked for life the priesthood of the deceased father Brien. Father Popiełuszko had become for him a “brother in God”, testified his sister during the funeral ceremony. Since 2012, the one who had become vicar and then parish priest had sought to make this Pole known.

In his daily mission, he asked for his intercession for the patients and the elderly he accompanied. Including in the days preceding his own death: “He had entrusted me to the intercession of Father Popiełuszko”, confirms one of his room neighbors in the clinic.

No miracle, according to the Vatican

However, despite a radical disappearance of his cancer, the “miracle” from which François Audelan would have benefited was not recognized by the Vatican. In 2023, after the in-depth study of the file of more than 800 pages provided by the dioceses of Créteil and Warsaw (Poland), the Holy See had judged this healing as non-miraculous, two specialists who claimed that other cases of healing suffered from this rare cancer had already been reported. “(The congregation for the cause of saints) is very demanding. There is caution. As a bishop, I cannot say that it is a miracle, I can say that it is an unexplained healing, which may one day be recognized as a miracle, “explains Mgr Dominique Blanchet, bishop of Créteil.

This does not detract from the exceptional life of faith of the blessed father Popiełuszko. Chaplain of the Solidarność union, the young Polish vicar died at 37 years old. Figure committed in favor of workers and peace, famous for his “sermons for the fatherland”, he distinguished himself by his fight for the truth and his support for social movements. His death, perceived as that of a martyr, helped to weaken communist totalitarian power in Poland. On June 6, 2010, in Warsaw, he was recognized as a martyr of faith and thus beatified. The church celebrates its memory every October 19.

(1) The Catholic church does not usually order from married man (except in certain eastern branches, such as the Maronite church). On the other hand, it can order a priest a widowed man or, under certain conditions, divorced.