Cardinal Husar comments on Sheptytsky's beatification

Religious Information Service of Ukraine

KYIV - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), is sure that the church has done all in its power for the beatification of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. Only one, though very important, point of the process is left, and that is testimonies about healing through prayers to the metropolitan. The cardinal spoke about the beatification at a meeting with the press on June 10.

The primate of the UGCC dismissed an assumption that the delay in this matter is somehow associated with the political intrigues of Moscow. "Let us not be preoccupied with politics. The Lord God laughs at politicians. Let us not think that some human issues are hindering [the process]," noted Cardinal Husar.

"All the documents are gathered. They are held by the theological committee. Now the issue is a miracle. There is certain information about miracles, but it is difficult to elaborate it in a proper way," he said. "Personally, I think that it is a great miracle that the UGCC still exists. It is a great miracle that happened and Metropolitan Sheptytsky did much for this. But, according to the regulations of canon law, this cannot be attributed to him. There is no miracle now which can be classified as miracle according to canon law."

According to Cardinal Husar, if a miracle had been proven to have happened through the intercession of Metropolitan Sheptytsky, he would have been beatified by the pope during his visit to Ukraine in 2001. The cardinal said that now one can only encourage people to pray, not only for the glorification of Metropolitan Andrey, but also for miracles through his intercession.

Metropolitan Sheptytsky was the head of the UGCC from 1901 to 1944.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, August 1, 2004, No. 31, Vol. LXXII

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