Ukrainian Catholic leader's move to Kyiv protested by Orthodox (08/21/05)

Ukrainian Catholic leader's move to Kyiv protested by Orthodox

by Zenon Zawada and Vladyslav Pavlov

KYIV - Radical Orthodox Christians are threatening conflict when Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, arrives in Kyiv this weekend to officially transfer the residence of the Church's major archbishop from Lviv to Ukraine's capital.

To mark the historic occasion, Cardinal Husar is to hold a divine liturgy on August 21 at 10 a.m. near the Patriarchal Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection, which is still under construction.

Bratstvo, a radical political party led by Dmytro Korchynskyi, has threatened "excesses," or problems, when the cardinal arrives. The radicals vowed they won't even allow Cardinal Husar to commence the divine liturgy.

"For the sake of keeping peace between the confessions, we demand the end of the Catholic expansion on Orthodox Ukrainian lands, and for Lubomyr Husar to withdraw his transfer to the center of Orthodoxy," said Vitalii Chornyi, the editor of the Bratstvo website, who led an August 17 protest at the Apostolic Nunciature on Turgenev Street in Kyiv.

The transfer of the major archbishop's seat, has struck a particular nerve among Orthodox belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate because they view Kyiv as the holy birthplace of Russian Orthodoxy.

"The Orthodox faithful will stand in the defense of Holy Rus' and won't allow the Uniate blitzkrieg and the establishment of the 'Ukrainian local Church," said a statement released on August 10 by the Association of Orthodox Christians. "They will defend Kyiv as the mother of the Russian cities, as the 'New Jerusalem' that cannot exist without the Third Rome."

Especially disturbing to some Orthodox is Cardinal Husar's decision to change his title from major Archbishop of Lviv to major archbishop of Kyiv and Halych.

The transfer "symbolizes a new era of Uniate Halychyna's spiritual and ideological occupation of Orthodox Ukraine," the Association of Orthodox Christians stated.

Patriarch Aleksei II of the Russian Orthodox Church issued a statement on August 16 asking that the Vatican reconsider the transfer, accusing the Church of proselytism on Orthodox territory.

"These actions cannot be justified either from a historical point of view, or by Church rules or canons," Patriarch Aleksei II said.

Metropolitan Volodymyr, who heads the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, has called on Pope Benedict XVI not to transfer the residence of the head of the UGCC from Lviv to Kyiv, ITAR-TASS reported on August 17. The move, approved by the late Pope John Paul II, "has stirred up the Orthodox Church and secular communities in Ukraine, added confusion to the already troubled Church life, and provoked interconfessional and political speculations," Metropolitan Volodymyr reportedly wrote in a letter to Pope Benedict.

"We view the transfer of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church residence to Kyiv as a blatant challenge to the confessional self-awareness of Orthodox Ukrainians, which provokes social, political and religious instability," the Synod of the UOC-MP said in a special statement.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate also is opposed to the UGCC leader's transfer to Kyiv.

Patriarch Filaret wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI requesting that he rescind Pope John Paul II's decision allowing for the transfer, as well as the change in Cardinal Husar's title. The pope's decision approved a position adopted by the UGCC's Synod of Bishops back in October 2004.

"We hope that the Greek-Catholic Church will do everything necessary to avoid proselytizing Orthodox Christians into Catholicism," said Father Superior Yevstratyi, the Kyiv Patriarchate's spokesman.

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church numbered 2,051 priests, 3,328 parishes and 5.5 million faithful in Ukraine as of January 1, 2004, according to Ukraine's National Committee on Religious Matters.

Mr. Korchinskyi did not attend the protest, but Mr. Chornyi read a speech Mr. Korchinskyi wrote in which he cited history to justify the conflict: "I must remind you that the contemporary Ukrainian nation formed as a result of wars on behalf of Orthodoxy against the Uniate and the Catholic offensive. If the Uniate archbishop returns to Kyiv, then what did Sahaidachnyi, Triasylo, Khmelnytskyi, Gonta, Zalizniak and other great figures spill their blood for?"

When asked why the two Churches cannot co-exist, Mr. Chornyi said "tolerance of faiths leads to indifference, and that's why it's not possible to tolerate Uniates on Orthodox lands."

In response to the criticisms, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church spokesman Father Ihor Yatsiv said the transfer of the primate's residence to Kyiv is a necessity that will improve administration of churches throughout Ukraine.

"Our Church is not a regional one. Therefore, the move of the head of the UGCC to Kyiv is not a demonstration of aggression but a vital necessity," Father Yatsiv said.

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church's leadership has notified law enforcement authorities that it will conduct a divine liturgy and expects that they will ensure order.

The Church has not organized any security detail for Cardinal Husar and his entourage, nor has it asked law enforcement authorities for special protection, Father Yatsiv said. "[The archbishop] has the protection of the Holy Sprit," Father Yatsiv added.

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church leadership did not send out invitations to the ceremony, so Father Yatsiv was not able to estimate how many faithful would be present at the site on Kyiv's Left Bank. He advised those in attendance to behave as Jesus Christ had taught them to conduct themselves in response to harm.

Until construction of the major archbishop's residence near the cathedral is concluded, Cardinal Husar will live in a private apartment in Kyiv.

When construction is complete, which is expected within one and a half to two years, it's expected that the cathedral will be Kyiv's largest.

The UGCC's Synod of Bishops will name a new archbishop to the Lviv Archeparchy. In the meantime, Cardinal Husar will appoint an administrator to govern that archeparchy.

Background of Bratstvo

Earlier in his career of radicalism, Mr. Korchinskyi led the Ukrainian nationalist paramilitary organization, UNA-UNSO.

In 1997 he shocked many Ukrainians with his new political project, Bratstvo, which aligned itself with Russian political interests. While Bratstvo has been described as ultra-conservative in the past, it has no clear political ideology, experts said.

In principle, Bratstvo has always supported Russian interests in Ukraine and Russian Orthodoxy. It has opposed Western institutions, particularly NATO.

Bratstvo mostly serves as a vehicle for promoting whatever political agenda Mr. Korchynskyi wishes to pursue at any given time, said Ivan Lozowy, president of the Kyiv-based Institute for Statehood and Democracy, which is exclusively financed by Ukrainian business donations.

Mr. Korchynskyi has also railed against globalization. Bratstvo's most famous "excess" to date was when its activists dumped mayonnaise on billionaire financier George Soros.

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