1991: A LOOK BACK: The rebirth of the Churches (12/29/91)

1991: A LOOK BACK

The rebirth of the Churches

Although this year was one of rebirth and renewal for the major Churches in Ukraine, it was also scarred by inter-confessional hostilities as the Ukrainian Orthodox (formerly the Russian Orthodox), the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Churches tried to establish their bases in the fledgling democratic Ukrainian nation.

The Ukrainian Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organizations came into force on June 4. Closely modeled on the USSR law passed in the fall of 1990, the Ukrainian law did not clarify whether churches are recognized in the law as national bodies or only individual parishes and church institutions.

The Ukrainian law gave more power to the Council for Religious Affairs, which it defined as an "informational, consultative and expert center."

However, in October of this year, representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic, Ukrainian Autocephalous and Protestant Churches, together with Jewish and Muslim representatives, formed the Council of Religions in Ukraine during a meeting in Kiev.

The Council supported the referendum on independence and called upon the Ukrainian government to abolish the old Council for Religious Affairs.

The inter-religious forum proposed the establishment of a Ministry of Religious Affairs, with the minister to be approved by the Council of Religions. The ministry's aim would be to "foster interconfessional peace and the creation of harmonious relations among the various religious faiths."

The Easter season in western Ukraine brought not only hope for the Ukrainian Catholic faithful, who had prayed in the catacombs for more than 40 years, but it also brought home the prelate of their Church, Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, who returned to Ukraine after a 53-year forced absence. Cardinal Lubachivsky arrived from Rome on March 30, to follow in the footsteps of his 20th century predecessors, Servant of God Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky and Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, at the citadel of Ukrainian Catholicism, St. George's Cathedral in Lviv.

During his first sermon on Palm Sunday, March 31, he addressed Pope John Paul II, renewing the request of the entire Ukrainian people to recognize the Patriarchate of the Particular Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The Vatican has said that a Patriarchate was going to be established for the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the near future, but as the year was coming to a close, it was not yet a reality.

The pope did however confirm the positions of the 10 formerly clandestine bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine on January 16. The Holy Father also took this opportunity to nominate five Latin rite bishops for Ukraine.

Prior to his return to Ukraine, Cardinal Lubachivsky chaired a bishops' synod in Rome, which was attended by all Ukrainian bishops from the diaspora and Ukraine, a historic meeting which began a new era in the life of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

It was a historical occasion when Cardinal Lubachivsky celebrated Easter liturgy in St. George's Cathedral on April 7. It was the first time in 46 years that Ukrainian Catholics were able to celebrate the miracle of Christ's Resurrection in this house of worship.

Cardinal Lubachivsky received good news for his Church in late May, when the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was registered on the republican level.

Although the government may have recognized his Church, Cardinal Lubachivsky encountered inter-confessional hostilities when he arrived in Kiev for his first official visit. He and his delegation were blocked from entering St. Andrew's Church in Podil on Sunday, May 26, by a group of old women, who stood at the gates of the church and sang prayers in Russian.

Cardinal Lubachivsky, however, was able to serve liturgy to the Ukrainian Catholic community in Kiev at a smaller church in the area that had been used as a recital hall.

Throughout his first few months in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Catholic prelate visited his faithful in western Ukraine.

Cardinal Lubachivsky's schedule was promoted by the Press Bureau of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which along with Bravo International, an Allentown, Pa., travel agency, organized a media trip for more than 100 journalists from North America and Europe to witness the historic events taking place in the Ukrainian Catholic Church during the Easter Season.

Headed by Sonya Hlutkowsky, the press office also informed the Ukrainian media in Ukraine about the history of the Church, its trials and tribulations in the catacombs and its re-emergence.

Another historic moment in the history of the Church occurred in May, when a commission of experts led by Cardinal Lubachivsky positively identified the mortal remains of the Servant of God Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky buried at the crypt of the Cathedral of St. George in Lviv 47 years ago.

This year, the Ukrainian Catholics in Poland received a new bishop, Ivan Martyniak, but the community of faithful in Peremyshl were denied their own cathedral.

A "social committee" in this town refused to turn over the cathedral that had belonged to Ukrainian Catholics for 165 years.

Pope John Paul II appealed for reconciliation between Poles and Ukrainians during his visit to this area on June 2.

"Any attempt to revive the historical nationalisms and aversions would be against the Christian identity and a glaring anachronism."

Patriarch Mstyslav of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church returned to Ukraine, for a second time, during the Lenten season. Consecrated Patriarch Mstyslav I of Kiev and all Ukraine of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in late 1990, the primate arrived in Kiev to continue forging relations to have his Church recognized by the Ukrainian government; he held numerous meetings with Supreme Council Chairman Leonid Kravchuk and Prime Minister Vitold Fokin.

However, to date, his Church is not registered.

Patriarch Mstyslav continued pastoral visits to eastern Ukraine after the Easter holidays, traveling to Vinnytsia, Khmelnytsky, Poltava.

Returning to Kiev, he blessed the land where the historic church of St. Michael of the Golden Domes, part of the Monastery complex, which was demolished in the spring of 1936, once stood. Patriarch Mstyslav, indeed the builder of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Ukraine, blessed the wooden cross which marks the place the sobor once stood and where it will stand again.

Hundreds turned up in Kiev to witness this historic event; among them were members of the Kiev Dynamo Sports Club, which had pledged monies to help rebuild the church, offering 1 million rubles.

Patriarch Mstyslav addressed those gathered: "I want to express one truth, one that was taught to me by my great-grandparents, one taught by the Church and one truth that I believe people in the leadership of the Ukrainian republic also understand: the Church is something we cannot live without. The Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church is one we cannot live without. We do not exist dependent on centers outside the territory of Ukraine. No one commands our Church, no one dictates to our Church from abroad. ..."

"We are inclined toward sovereignty, the idea of sovereignty and we want our Church to be sovereign, not on paper, but in action... And we want our lives to be directed by the will of God, the wisdom of God, and we will be, by the good graces of God, faithful servants to him and our people," Patriarch Mstyslav said.

He later traveled to northwestern Ukraine, to Rivne, and to Berestechko, where he witnessed the "Days of Kozak Glory," and the unveiling of a monument dedicated to those brave warriors who laid their lives down for Ukraine during the battle of Berestechko in the 1600s.

While in Ukraine, Patriarch Mstyslav also consecrated two new bishops for the UAOC; Archimandrite Antoniy Fialko was named bishop of Kamianets-Podilsky and Khmelnytsky and Archimandrite Polikarp Pakholiuk was consecrated bishop of Dubno and vicar of the Rivne eparchy.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, formerly the Russian Orthodox Church, with its leader Metropolitan Filaret Denysenko of Kiev boasts a membership of over 30 million faithful in Ukraine. During various interviews throughout the year, Metropolitan Filaret has voiced his criticism of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, labelling it "uncanonical."

In Ukraine, there are a number of Protestant groups that are gaining popularity with the emergence of new religious liberties. Statistics on the membership in these Churches are not available.

In the 1990s, hostilities and conflicts between the different religious communities will continue to exist, as the various Churches struggle to lay down foundations.

Meanwhile, back in North America, a number of Ukrainian Catholic hierarchs celebrated significant anniversaries. Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk marked his 40th anniversary as bishop and 35th anniversary as Canada's first Ukrainian Catholic metropolitan. Based in Winnipeg, the 80-year-old hierarch has traveled to Ukraine on a number of occasions during the past few years.

Also, in Canada, Bishop Myron Daciuk, who had served as auxiliary to Metropolitan Hermaniuk, was appointed bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic eparchy of Edmonton, succeeding Bishop Demetrius Greschuk, who died on July 8, 1990.

In the United States, Bishop Basil H. Losten of Stamford celebrated the 20th anniversary of his episcopal ordination. Although his list of achievements is endless, Bishop Losten is best characterized by his tireless efforts to educate the world community about the Ukrainian Catholic Church, his ability to raise funds and coordinate assistance efforts of his Church, as well as his devotion to the education of seminarians.

Earlier this year, Bishop Losten was appointed Cardinal Lubachivsky's representative in the collection of funds for the Lviv Metropolitan Seminary, which is temporarily housed in a youth summer camp in Rudno.

Yet another U.S. hierarch who celebrated an anniversary, was Bishop Innocent Lotocky, who marked the 50th year of his ordination and the 10th anniversary of his consecration as bishop of the St. Nicholas Diocese in Chicago.

North America also hosted Archbishop Volodymyr Sterniuk of Lviv during the summer months, as he visited both the United States and Canada. The 84-year-old archbishop was the locum tenens of the Metropolitan See of Lviv until the arrival of Cardinal Lubachivsky in Ukraine.

On a sad note, on June 10 of this year, the historic Ss. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church in Mt. Carmel, Pa., was destroyed by fire. The 100-year-old church had just been renovated and repainted to prepare for its centennial anniversary, scheduled to take place on June 29 and 30. The cause of the fire was not known.

1991 came to a close with a liturgy of thanksgiving, offered by Cardinal John O'Connor of New York. The Roman Catholic prelate celebrated with Bishop Losten, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, on the joyous occasion of the rebirth of an independent Ukraine and the election of its president, Leonid M. Kravchuk.