LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (10/01/00)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Weekly is invaluable source

Dear Editor:

Once again The Weekly has show itself to be an invaluable source of unique and detailed information to our community when it reported on the indignity suffered by the Eastern (Byzantine) Catholic churches in Emmitsburg, Md. in two stories: "Eastern Catholics need representation in ongoing Orthodox-Catholic dialogue" (July 16) and "Commission for Theological Dialogue discusses implications of uniatism" (July 30).

All faithful of the Kyivan ecclesiastical tradition - Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholics alike - are offended by this indignity. Regardless of where we stand on the theological, ecclesiastical and historical implications of Ukrainian "Uniatism," the Ukrainian Catholic Church must be received with dignity, and can and should speak for itself. The same is certainly true of Ukrainian Orthodoxy. I think it was St. Augustine who taught charity in all things.

Ukrainian "Uniatism" is firstly an internal matter to be settled in ecumenical dialogue between the churches sharing Kyivan patrimony. After all, it is we who are separated from one another and thus injured. If our separation becomes concern to a wider forum, both Ukrainian Churches would need to be represented.

I would urge Ukrainians of faith everywhere to protest what happened in Emmitsburg to the apostolic nuncio on the following grounds:

1) We were not represented but Latin-rite hierarchs continue to speak for us like older brothers, which is an indignity to the Ukrainian Catholic Church and contrary to the spirit and letter of canon law;

2) The Rev. Waclaw Hryniewicz should be precluded from representing the universal Catholic Church - and by extension, certainly, the Ukrainian Catholic Church - given his offensive published views;

3) Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox bishops and theologians maintain direct fruitful contact in the Kyivan Church Study Group [The Ukrainian Catholic episcopate is represented by Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy and the Ukrainian Orthodox episcopate is represented by Archbishop Vsevolod, titular bishop of Scopelos in the Ecumenical Patriarchate] and;

4) The theological dialogue should confine itself to theological questions, which is its mandate, and not ecclesiastical politics where the Eastern Catholic Churches become bargaining chips. Letters should be addressed to: His Excellency, The Most Rev. Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S.A., 3339 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008-3687; telephone, (202) 333-7121; fax, (202) 337-4036. Ukrainians in other countries should protest to the apostolic nuncios in their capitals.

Oles Cheren
Mansfield, Ohio

Kudos to Balan for Sobor article

Dear Editor:

The article by Jars Balan on the Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada was heartwarming. Especially cogent are his concluding remarks that "constructive discussions between laity and clergy provide a far more effective means of dealing with tensions within the Church than lawsuits, disciplinary actions and attempts to impose conformity through heavy-handed edicts issued by Church officials."

We can all read between the lines. We do not know what happened when the Canadian, American and diaspora Ukrainian Orthodox Churches took themselves under the omophorion of the Ecumenical Patriarch. However, we can see the results of these acts. All of these bishops are like new debutantes to "canonical" Orthodoxy. They all want their dance cards to be filled. They don't want to sit out a dance.

However, we the faithful, don't care about their dance cards. We are very concerned about our Mother Church in Ukraine. We want to extricate, by whatever means necessary, Our Holy Mother Church in Ukraine from the maw of the Russian bear. Ukrainian priests in Canada and the United States have been shunned from liturgical participation, because they are, supposedly "non-canonical", while hierarchs vie with each other in pride and with disdain towards the plight of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters. Our Ukrainian Orthodox Churches outside the borders of Ukraine must take a joint stand to help our beleaguered brothers and sisters re-establish our Mother Church in our ancestral land. Otherwise, we are all unworthy of our calling. Ukrainians are threatened and marginalized in their own country.

The indifference of our Churches abroad has not gone unnoticed by the Russians. Recent disturbances in Ukraine demonstrate that they are again trying to swallow us up. This is not a persecution complex. It is a fact. There must be continuous and active dialogue between the laity and clergy to preserve our "sobornopravist."

If the bishops wish to help, fine. Otherwise, let them attend to their devotions and dance cards. Ukraine is worthy of its own independent Church. It is worthy of its own independent Ukrainian Orthodox patriarch, and its own Ukrainian Catholic patriarch. If we don't fight for it, we will never get it. A little prayer would help as well.

Thank you, Mr. Balan, for this very informative article.

Olha Zewleniak-Carver
Bradenton, Fla.

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