FOR THE RECORD: U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual speaks at Lviv Theological Academy commencement (07/07/02)

FOR THE RECORD

U.S. Ambassador Carlos Pascual speaks at Lviv Theological Academy commencement

Carlos Pascual, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, delivered the address at the 2002 commencement ceremonies for the Lviv Theological Academy (LTA) held on June 22. Below is the English-language text of his remarks, which were delivered in Ukrainian.

Reverend bishops, Reverend fathers, sisters and brothers, dear graduates and students, ladies and gentlemen:

I am honored to be here on a momentous day that marks your graduation from the Theological Academy and bridges toward the birth of a Ukrainian Catholic University. You came here in pursuit of an education that would help you transcend the pursuit of knowledge and explore the meaning of life. Inherent in this pursuit are questions we can each answer for ourselves, but which no one can answer for another: Who is God? How do I relate to this being? What role has this God had in my history? How will this God affect my future?

For decades, such questions, much less the freedom to answer them, were excluded from Ukraine's educational life. They border on the spiritual, on the realm of self-discovery. These were notions that threatened the blind acceptance of a totalitarian state. Your educational and spiritual journeys within the halls of this academy may seem personal - and indeed they are. But they are also historic. You have paved the way for others to explore faith, philosophy and the meaning of life - questions once seen as extraneous to education.

The realization of this education is itself the realization of a dream, first sparked by Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, then kept alive throughout years of exile by Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj. In their hearts burned a truth they knew they must realize: to open the pursuit of spiritual life in Ukraine, in a way relevant to people, and cognizant of the joys and hardships that passed before them each day. Their dreams sparked a passion for education and a commitment to touch others, knowing that if not realized in their lifetime, others would pursue the quest.

There is a great lesson in this story: dreams have meaning. Principles such as faith and freedom have value. Their realization occurs in one human being at a time - in the hope that, collectively, the realization of these dreams and the pursuit of these values will make life better for those we love.

I was blessed with learning the meaning of freedom at an early age. When I was 3 years old, my parents took me from Cuba to the United States with not much more than a suitcase in hand because they wanted me to grow up in a free country. Through their sacrifice, I had the gift of a good education, one that taught me to question and analyze, to value knowledge, but even more so, to treasure its application.

Little did my parents realize that the concept of freedom they held so dearly was a gift of life for their son. Little could they, or I, have imagined that I would have such an opportunity to serve other people or my own country. The lessons I learned have stayed with me. Faith is a powerful tool when transformed into action. The gifts we receive have greater meaning when we share them with others. One person can make a difference in the lives of others, even if only through one person at a time.

Today, each of you is blessed to live at a historic moment when your actions will shape the future of your families, your communities and your country. Never before has Ukraine had a better chance of realizing its destiny as a sovereign, independent European state. For decades the concepts of freedom, initiative and incentive were criminal. Now they are the lifeblood to prosperity. How those concepts will be exercised in real life - in Ukraine's political, economic and cultural world - depends on you.

The face of Europe is changing faster and perhaps more deeply than at any time since World War II. Where once the task of great nations was to create dividing lines and defend them to the death, today our challenge is to tear down those barriers and secure a Europe whole and free, a Europe that recognizes the importance of every democratic nation aspiring to peace and stability, a Europe made secure through integration rather than exclusion.

To the west of Ukraine, virtually every country has joined or aspires to join NATO and the European Union. To the east, Russia has forged new relations with NATO, the United States and the EU. Some may fear that Ukraine will be lost in this realignment of Europe's political map. I believe these changes offer Ukraine a unique opportunity to define its place as a nation, based on its own aspirations. To those who once claimed that Russia was a barrier to Ukraine's embrace of the West, we can now point to Russia's own aspirations for integration. To those once skeptical of Ukraine's commitment to the Euro-Atlantic community, now is the time to dispel that skepticism through Ukraine's own actions.

On May 23, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council said that Ukraine would aspire to full integration in Euro-Atlantic structures, including membership. NATO's answer, in effect, was given by NATO's foreign ministers even before Ukraine's announcement when they met on May 15 in Reykjavik: "We have decided to give new impetus and substance to our partnership with Ukraine ... and bring our relationship to a qualitatively new level. We expect to deepen and expand our relationship ... and cooperation on political, economic and defense issues." The United States has welcomed Ukraine's aspirations for closer ties to Euro-Atlantic structures. Our policy was most clearly stated a year ago in Warsaw by President Bush: "The Europe we are building must include Ukraine, a nation struggling with the trauma of transition. Some in Kyiv speak of their country's European destiny. If this is their aspiration, we should reward it."

How Ukraine advances down the road to integration will depend on the actions it takes internally to shape its own future. One colleague of mine called NATO the military expression of an alliance of shared values. The key to this phrase is "shared values." The only way that an organization of 19 (and soon to be more) nations can operate by consensus is if they have common beliefs in democracy and market economics. Too often people think of NATO and focus on military issues. But the core requirements for joining NATO are most importantly political and economic. These political and economic values define the character of a nation. It is only when nations understand each other's characters that alliances can endure.

History has shown that throughout its evolution, political and economic issues have most fundamentally affected NATO's enlargement. Turkey and Greece had to accept peace and co-exist as neighbors. Spain had to overcome fascism. Poland had to demonstrate intolerance of anti-Semitism. Among today's aspirants, the Baltic countries must demonstrate the protection of minority rights. Romania must fight corruption and protect the rights of children. One can only surmise that the issues on Ukraine's agenda will include rule of law, independence of the media, strengthening civil society and fighting corruption.

To be European is not a choice of foreign policy, but a question of how a country shapes itself from within - whether its people are free, whether the courts are fair, whether civilians control the security structures and whether the economy is open and competitive. The answers to these questions will be answered most definitively by your generation. In this sense, you are entrusted with a unique responsibility - a responsibility that you will answer to in your careers, in your communities and within your families.

Often people forget the power of a dream and the impact of a simple act. Not that long ago, in 1991, Ukrainians joined hands across the country to create a human chain symbolizing a commitment to freedom. Months later, the Soviet Union collapsed. By the end of the year, Ukraine had become an independent state.

Every one of you has pursued an education that is the fulfillment of a dream born with Metropolitans Sheptytsky and Slipyj. You are part of a tradition. Recognize its power and treasure it. Build a bright future upon its solid foundation.

Today, I wish every one of you both the courage to dream and the conviction to turn those dreams into reality. You are Ukraine's prosperity. Believe this in your hearts. Pursue it with your souls.

Congratulations on this momentous day.

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