Vatican City, Jul 17, 2015 / 03:12 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- On Thursday, Pope Francis authorized a decree recognizing the heroic virtue of Archbishop Andrey Sheptytsky, who was head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church from 1900 to 1944, and who personally protected dozens of Jews from Nazi occupiers during World War II.

The Pope's July 16 audience with the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints also recognized the heroic virtue of seven other potential saints, who will now be called 'Venerable'.