Pope Francis has signed a decree declaring “venerable” Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky, who led the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the tumultuous period of both world wars and at the beginning of Soviet occupation.

A photo essay from the inauguration of the Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky memorial statue in Lviv, courtesy of the administration of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Official Vatican news organs have reported that Pope Francis has affixed his signature to a decree affirming the “venerable” status of Metropolitan Archbishop Andrei Sheptytsky. The adjective “venerable”—and great deal many other synonyms—are undeniably apt in the case of the great cleric.