FOR THE RECORD: Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church seeks to return to its birthplace (06/02/02)

FOR THE RECORD

Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church seeks to return to its birthplace

Below is a translation of the Ukrainian address of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar announcing plans for a Ukrainian Catholic Church Center in Kyiv. The translation is republished from the Sower (April 7).

Most Venerable Metropolitans, Very Reverend Bishops, Members of the Clergy and Monastic Life, and our Dear Faithful of the particular Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine and in the Diaspora:

Peace in the Lord.

The last decade of the 20th century brought great changes in the life of the Church and our people. And, after many centuries, Ukraine again became an independent nation, and the Church within her - free. Exactly at this same time, which they correctly call historic, I turn to you, beloved in Christ, regarding a matter that touches us all. In order to impress upon you the importance of this matter, I shall first recall some moments from the 1,000-year history of the Church.

In connection with the spreading of Christianity into Ukraine there comes to mind the legend that the Apostle Andrew traveled into our land and blessed the hills of Kyiv. A reliable proof of such an early spread of Christianity into our land is the well-known historical fact that already at the end of the first century, Pope Clement was taken to Crimea as into exile. There he performed hard labor, preached the Gospel and completed his difficult life.

As the official religion, Christianity was brought into Kyivan Rus' at the end of the 10th century. From Kyiv, which is actually the birthplace of our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Christianity began to spread to neighboring countries, present-day Russia, Belarus and others. Developing well until the Tatar invasion in the second half of the 13th century, Kyivan Christianity kept its ties with the East, the Patriarch of Constantinople, and the West, Rome and other centers of the Latin Christian culture.

The next historical moment to which we turn our attention is the year 1439, when the Ecumenical Council of Florence took place, which had as its goal the renewal of the original unity among Christians. One of the most active participants was Kyivan Metropolitan Isidore. He announced the decisions of the council throughout Ukraine, and they were positively received by the people. Having heeded this for more than a 100-year period of our history, at the end of the 16th century, when the Ukrainian bishops, understanding the unbearable situation of Christians of the Byzantine rite, decided to solidify their union with the Apostolic See of Rome and with the successor of St. Peter.

Exactly at that time began the tragic separation of the Kyivan Church that continues even to this day. Two Churches took form in Ukraine: one, which was united with the successor of St. Peter; and the other, as a consequence of foreign influences, did not put into practice this unity. Except for this difference, the two parts of the Kyivan root practically do not differ at all.

Already from the first half of the 17th century there were various well-known attempts to unite the Church and to unite her with the particular Church, that is, with the patriarch. Unfortunately, for various reasons, this did not occur, and the pages of the history of the two branches of Christianity in Ukraine were of continual sensitivity and distance.

The process of the liquidation of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the territory of Ukraine had taken effect very systematically, along with Ukraine's occupation by tsarist Russia, and later by the Soviet Union. Our church was preserved only in the parts which were included in the governance by the former Austrian Empire, and afterwards for a 20-year period was under the occupation of Poland. The policy of the liquidation of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church took form in the western lands of Ukraine during the Soviet times. In Halychyna the Church's liquidation occurred in 1946: in Zakarpattia in 1949.

Nonetheless, the merciful Lord protected our Church with the intervention of people who were ready to sacrifice even their lives for the true faith. This was preserved through these martyrs. The beatification of many of our bishops, priests, monks, nuns and faithful occurred in June of last year.

After many years of remaining in the underground, our Church in Ukraine is already now free for more than 10 years. Growth in a free fatherland during the last decade gives us the opportunity, of which no one would absolutely have been able to dream, to return the center of our Church to Kyiv, the place of its birth, from where it was subject to horrific conditions.

This was an unusually important decision in the life of our Church. Some may see in it entirely political or social motives. However, it was done in order to unite all parts of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church where its faithful, by coercion of the Soviet regime, were scattered over all the territory of Ukraine, encompassing our present-day eparchies and exarchies. Except for this past unity, the center ought to favor us with better future ties in the capital, where all the other Churches and religious organizations have their centers.

In conjunction with this, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, after a 200-year stay faraway from Kyiv, wishes to transfer the seat of its head to the capital of Ukraine and establish for him a personal church and a suitable residence.

It is known to all that the transfer of structures and the erection of buildings demand large financial burdens. Therefore, I turn to you, dear sons and daughters of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine and beyond its borders, with a reverent request for help in building a patriarchal church, along with accommodations for the head of our Church in Kyiv. Today, due to the division of the Church of Christ such centers in the capital are many. We hope that one day, with God's help, the head of a united Ukrainian Church will sit in the Cathedral of St. Sophia, the symbol of our unity.

I turn to all of you, my beloved, to those who live in Ukraine, even though I understand how difficult it is to defray the cost. Your generous offering, it does not matter whether it be a widow's mite or a sizable gift, will be that brick without which we would not be able to build this Church.

I turn to you, my beloved, who live in the diaspora. We must preserve the unity of the Church - so that we would not lose in this world that spiritual wealth that our grandparents and great-grandparents brought with them from the Ukrainian land and which gives us our identity; so that we would not lose ourselves in the environment in which we live; so that we might be productive and have something to share with our fellow citizens. This desire for unity shows itself in the person of the head of our Church and his seat, the church in Kyiv, which we are hoping to build with your help.

Once again I ask you all, in accord with your ability and from the generosity of your heart, to make the building of such a cathedral a reality. If you wish to make some offering, kindly send it through the office of your bishop in that eparchy in Ukraine, or outside Ukraine, where you live.

In advance I sincerely thank you for your generous offerings for the good of our Church and the Ukrainian people. I pray that God bestow upon you all His choicest blessings.

Ý Lubomyr

| Home Page |