Many of Ukraine's Orthodox faithful welcomed visit by Pope John Paul II (07/08/01)

Many of Ukraine's Orthodox faithful welcomed visit by Pope John Paul II

by Zenon Zawada
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV-LVIV - Orthodox Church leaders in Ukraine and Russia may find a lesson in Christianity from many of their own faithful.

Despite the harsh official rhetoric about the papal visit emanating from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church, to which it is subordinate, Orthodox Christians either strolling Kyiv streets or attending papal services welcomed the historic visit, believing it would benefit Ukraine.

"I welcome everyone, because there is one God and every person can choose from herself how to pray," said Tatiana Sydarenko, 75, an Orthodox Christian from Kyiv. "I read the Bible, and I also have Catholic books. I read them all, and I find them interesting."

The Russian Patriarchate's outrage over the pontiff's visit wasn't apparent on the streets of Kyiv or Lviv. Leaders of Ukraine's two other Orthodox Churches, the UOC of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, welcomed the visit and, in fact, met with Pope John Paul II as part of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.

During the five-day visit, monks of the UOC-MP sealed themselves off in the historic Monastery of the Caves (Pecherska Lavra), fasting on bread and water until Pope John Paul II left Ukrainian soil.

Most Orthodox Christians repeated the common theme that Catholics and Orthodox believe in the same God, so there shouldn't be any reason for conflict.

"We wanted to be together with the pope for our country," said Antonina Shafranska, an Orthodox Christian from Rivne who decided to attend the Roman Catholic mass in Lviv.

"Apostle Peter once told the Corinthians that there are many beliefs and Churches, but God is one and His Spirit is one," she added.

Anton Maksimov, 24, an atheist from eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, where Orthodoxy is dominant, said he was upset about the pope's visit only because it created traffic in Kyiv. He was trying to drop off his girlfriend at Boryspil Airport the day the pope arrived.

If anything, the pope's visit will bring positive publicity to Ukraine, a country that people too often associate with Russia, Mr. Maksimov said.

"It's time for him to come here because he's from Poland," he added.

However, it's those same Polish roots that caused some Ukrainians to refrain from welcoming the pope.

Ukraine's Catholicism has its roots in Polish oppression, said Andriy Imnozemtsev, 22, an Orthodox Christian and a resident of Kyiv. "I don't think it's very good, because this faith came violently," Mr. Imnozemtsev said. "Those who accepted it had succumbed to violence. But still, it's a personal choice for every individual."

On the other hand, Mr. Imnozemtsev said it's good that Ukrainians are active and excited about something, instead of sitting at home apathetically.

According to Vasyl Bukhalo, 31, an Orthodox Christian from the Zakarpattia region, the pope's visit is bad for Ukraine. "In western Ukraine, we were under Poles, Romanians and Czechs, and they forced Catholicism upon us," Mr. Bukhalo said. "The Catholics destroyed everything."

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches have shown they will never peacefully co-exist in Ukraine, said Dema Bratchenko, 22, a former Orthodox Christian now attending a Pentecostal church in Kyiv.

Religious diversity was apparent at all the papal services. Roman Catholics attended the Byzantine-rite liturgies, and Greek-Catholics attended the Latin-rite masses.

Orthodox, Greek-Catholic and Roman Catholic differences are strictly limited to customs and traditions, said Irina Filusova, 31, a Greek-Catholic from Lviv.

"The most important thing is for Christians to unite," said Ms. Filusova, who attended the Latin-rite mass in Lviv with her Roman Catholic friend.

"I completely don't understand these squabbles and quarrels between faiths," said Katerina Propushynska, 60, a Roman Catholic from Lviv. "There is one God, so why fight?"

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