Ukrainian Catholics Reportedly Clash With Bishop Hornyak in England (12/31/77)

Ukrainian Catholics Reportedly Clash With Bishop Hornyak in England

The United Press International carried a story, datelined Gloucester, England, December 18, about an alleged alteration which took place in that city between a group of Ukrainians and Bishop Augustine Hornyak of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Great Britain. Below is the story as it appeared in The New York Times Monday, December 19.

Protesters reached over a police cordon with walking sticks and umbrellas today to beat the religious leader of Britain's Ukrainian community and prevent him from entering a new Gloucester church.

Bishop Augustine Hornyak was forced to retreat to his car after nearly 500 demonstrators attacked him bruising his face and head and crushing his glasses.

He had been invited to perform the opening service at the new church.

"The bishop stands for all that is wrong in the Ukrainian Catholic Church today," John Finiw, a spokesman for the protestors, said. "He arouses very deep emotions of hatred among many Ukrainians."

The demonstrators say the 58-year-old bishop is a "traitor" to Ukrainian Catholics because he will not support their demands that Pope Paul VI appoint Joseph Cardinal Slipyj patriarch of their church.

The bishop said that the protest was political in nature and not religious and that the demonstrators were backed by the Ukrainian Revolutionary Nationalist Group.

Thus far, efforts by the Svoboda Press to attain additional information from Ukrainian sources have been unsuccessful.

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