LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (10/23/05)

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Moscow still uses the Church as a tool

Dear Editor:

After reading Zenon Zawada's very informative report, "The Ukrainian Catholic Church moves to Kyiv" (August 28), it became obvious what is happening to the Church. Instead of taking care of the spiritual needs of the faithful, it becomes a tool of the government in its political pursuits against its neighbors.

The violent behavior of the followers of Moscow's Patriarchate in Ukraine serves as the best example of such un-Christian conduct.

The violence at the site of the Ukrainian Catholic house of God in Kyiv clearly shows that whenever the Russian political and ecclesiastical arm reaches up, the Ukrainian Church meets a violent persecution. History shows that for centuries this type of behavior was encouraged by the Russian tsars and reached a high point during the Russian-imposed Communist regime in Ukraine.

Both the Ukrainian Orthodox and Catholic Churches were annihilated by the government with the helping hand of Moscow's patriarch and his clergy. This was not done for spiritual reasons. This was done because both Churches are truly Ukrainian. Both Churches promoted and supported the people's aspirations for independence and freedom. Both Churches encouraged preservation of the language and the culture of the Ukrainian people by standing against the onslaught of the occupiers of their lands, especially the most aggressive Russian regimes.

Its ambition to become "The Third Rome" clearly showed the Moscow's Patriarchate's intolerance toward Ukrainian Churches, especially the Catholic Church. This led to verbal abuse, hatred and intolerance as was seen during the historic August 21 divine liturgy celebrating the transfer of the headquarters of the Ukrainian Catholic Church from Lviv to Kyiv. For Christians, such inappropriate behavior throws a very dark shadow on the entire Russian Orthodox Church.

One wonders, do the faithful of this Church follow the Christian teaching "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thy neighbor as thyself" or promote hatred and intolerance, including the desecration of a religious observance?

The patriarch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, has ever reason to be proud of his clergy and the faithful, who did not react with violence against the violence. Instead, they remained calm and maintained spiritual dignity by praying for those who attempted to desecrate their Church, which after years of persecution is taking its rightful place among the truly Christian Churches where tolerance and love predominate.

Michael J. Kozak
Minneapolis

Once in a while, exuberance is needed

Dear Editor:

In the commentary "The irrational exuberance of Orange" (October 2), Dr. Roman Solchanyk continues to paint a dismal picture in regard to issues of nation-building in post-Orange Revolution Ukraine. Dr. Solchanyk rightfully states that President Viktor Yushchenko, from all the expectant and desirous promises on the maidan, has followed up on only one: "The renewal of cadres will be continued." This is a good beginning and represents progress and an attempt at selecting suitable government personnel.

Nicolo Machiavelli in his famous and timeless "The Prince" (Il Principe) taught the world the stark realities of political science. Machiavelli had an acute understanding of politics and of human nature, and was a cynical observer of mankind. He is known for his simple, but famous statement "about what men do and not what they should do." In his treatise he rejected idealism in favor of hard political realism.

Although today we live in a different social and political world, those elements of human nature and politics remain the same now as they were in 1532, when "The Prince" was first published. Therefore, one can detect a Machiavellian spirit or motivation in many actions of leaders of governments even today. (We often hear presidential candidates' pre-election promises, which are forgotten soon after successful elections.)

It seems that a touch of Machiavellism entered into President Yushchenko's political maneuverings.

To repeat the obvious, Ukraine's nation-building is going through a difficult period, marked by political scandals, mistakes and setbacks, but also by slow but steady progress in creating a civil society through an emerging new political culture.

As Dr. Solchanyk writes: "And fundamental issues of nationhood are precisely what are in question in contemporary Ukraine. Anyone with doubts on this score needs only to read what thoughtful people in Ukraine are increasingly writing about." Those "thoughtful people," journalists, students, the political and economical elite who write and are concerned about which way Ukraine is going, are our hope for a better future of our country.

Dr. Solchanyk quotes public opinion polls gathered by the Razumkov Center and the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, who persistently report "glaring differences between east and west" and that "proportion of opponents of integration into Europe has nearly doubled" and similar negative statistics. The question arises: Who checks or scrutinizes the poll-takers, knowing well that our neighbor to the north continues to work hard through its operatives to misinform and negatively present public opinion?

Ukraine, called an "unexpected nation" by one British historian, is unique, because there is no other nation that has a similar historical past, or such a geopolitical location with a long border with Russia.

Dr. Solchanyk writes about the problem with Russian language in Ukraine and remarks: "I wonder how that would go over in Poland or even Slovakia." Poland and Slovakia do not have a Cyrillic alphabet, and do not have a contiguous border with Russia, or a large Russian minority like Ukraine or Estonia. It follows then, that the circumstances and the path of nation-building in Ukraine are much different from those of all its neighbors. It will take much effort, patience and a long time. Once in a while we all need exuberance in our national as well as in our personal lives, even if it sometimes is "irrational."

Myroslaw Burbelo, M.D.
Westerly, R.I.

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