LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (02/15/98)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Many faithful have concerns about UOC

Dear Editor:

The Rev. John R. Nakonachny's letter (February 1) accuses Victor Babanskyj (January 11) of "attempts to use scare tactics to frighten the faithful - especially the elderly - who have concerns about our Church's relationship with Constantinople." The truth of the matter is that many faithful, both young and old, have valid concerns which have been reinforced by specific events and actions.

Under the late Patriarch Mstyslav I, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. was affiliated with the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church in Ukraine. Indeed the hierarchs of both churches issued joint pastoral letters and greetings.

To the best of my knowledge, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Church in Ukraine did not turn away the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. The hierarchy of the U.S. Church "decided" to seek the jurisdiction of the ecumenical patriarch, who recognizes, and has always recognized only one Orthodox jurisdiction in Ukraine - the Moscow Patriarchate. This recognized jurisdiction has a well-known, lengthy history of helping subjugate the Ukrainian people and trying to eradicate both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Ukrainian Catholic Churches.

The clergy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. are now allowed to concelebrate only with the clergy in Ukraine that belong to this recognized jurisdiction, that is, the clergy under the Moscow Patriarch. This means that our clergy cannot concelebrate with the same hierarchs and priests from Ukraine who took part in Patriarch Mstyslav's enthronement in Kyiv and funeral in South Bound Brook, N.J.

Father Nakonachny proudly lists the financial support the U.S. Church provides to Ukraine as proof that we are not abandoning Ukraine. What will be our response if and when the ecumenical patriarch forbids us to support an "unrecognized church" and directs this support to the recognized Church in Ukraine, i.e. to Moscow? Will we submit in order to be "able to sit around the table and discuss our Church's future" with other jurisdictions? Excuse me, but why are we discussing our Church's future with others? Are they discussing their futures with us? Why are we relying on others and not upon ourselves?

Since Patriarch Mstyslav's death there has been an acceleration in the use of English in our Church services. In addition, English has become the primary language in our Consistory and in our seminary. I drive a fair distance, and I know people who drive for hours so that we and our can children worship in and hear the language of our forefathers.

Finally, I want to quote from Archbishop Spyridon's (the ecumenical patriarch's representative in America) luncheon address on September 21, 1996, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. "...This morning I also spoke of the realization of one Orthodox Church here in America, and here I echoed the thoughts of His All Holiness Patriarch Bartholomew. We must move forward toward that bright new day when all the Orthodox in this country - Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Serbs, Arabs and all the many others - must be united..." I think it is safe to assume that this "united Church" will not be called Ukrainian.

Unfortunately, little is being done to address or alleviate these concerns.

Simon T. Nahnybida
Basking Ridge, N.J.

Thanks for supporting Ukrainian pavilion

Dear Editor:

For the last several weeks I have had the privilege of experiencing a wonderful expression of cultural pride from the Ukrainian community as I have continued to pursue the construction of a temporary pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center for a 15-month millennium celebration.

Several years ago, while working with Walt Disney "imagineers" on a proposal for a permanent $100+million Ukrainian pavilion, I videotaped a series of informal interviews asking tourists, "What is Ukraine?" You can imagine my amusement and frustration when at least 95 percent of the replies included answers like, "Russia" or "a peninsula of Mexico" or "I don't know." These responses prompted the founding of Ukrainian Project Fund, a non-profit corporation whose sole charter is to promote Ukrainian awareness.

Now we have been given the opportunity to have Ukrainian culture on display at Walt Disney World for at least 15 months to as many as 500 million people. Dozens of Ukrainians and friends of Ukrainians from all over the world have lent their support and have offered to do whatever they are able to do within their sphere of influence to make this pavilion a reality.

At this point I would like to thank at least some of these individuals and organizations: members of The Washington Group; Askold Lozynskyj, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America; Bo Shevchik of Coca-Cola; The Buffalo Group; the Ukrainian American Broadcasting Co.; Orest Deychakiwsky; Paul Bandriwsky; Wolodymyr Dmytrijuk; George Hajduczok; president of The Buffalo Group, Jaroslaw Palylyk; Yurko McKay; Ireneus Harasymiak; Vira Goldman, president of American Friends of Ukraine; Orest Rusynko; Wilton Tift; Gene Kowch; Dick Murphy; Erika Cherko; Adjo Deputat; Myron Deputat; Marty Smith; Bohdan Malaniak, president of the California Association to Aid Ukraine; and Peter Borisow.

Finally, I'd like to express my gratitude to Roma Hadzewycz, editor of this publication, for instantly recognizing the potential impact that a Ukrainian pavilion at EPCOT would have on Ukraine's presence within the world community. As a direct result of the response that I received after Natalia Warren's January 18 article appeared in The Ukrainian Weekly, George Kalogridis, vice-president of EPCOT granted the Ukrainian Initiative a one-month extension for finding sponsorship for this pavilion. We now have until March 1 to find a sponsor.

And what of the future of a the $100+million permanent pavilion? Depending on the success of the temporary structures, EPCOT will begin construction of the permanent installations in the year 2001. This opportunity to share the celebration of our Ukrainian culture with the entire world should inspire all of us.

I may be reached at (407) 827-4982 or [email protected] or [email protected].

Taras (Jason) Harper
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

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