2005: THE YEAR IN REVIEW

Our Churches: working toward unity, recognition

Unity was the watchword in Church news during 2005, which was marked by diverse developments, both good and bad, affecting both the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches.

At the beginning of the year there was news of a highly successful program dubbed "Christmas Together" that brought together Christians from Ukraine's eastern and western regions. The all-Ukrainian event supported by thousands of inhabitants of Ukraine's western regions was held on January 6-9. Lviv and other far western regions of Ukraine were the main centers of the event, though the southern region of Mykolaiv also participated.

Lviv hosted over 2,000 people in the course of the event, which was organized following an initiative by the Lviv Council of Rectors of Higher Educational Establishments. The young people who arrived from eastern Ukraine experienced more than just celebrating Christmas Eve with local families. They were also presented with an interesting program by the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). The guests took part in religious services, saw vertepy (traditional Ukrainian Christmas pageants), and visited museums. The organizers of "Christmas Together" said they believe that celebrating together is the best implementation of the slogan that emerged on Kyiv's Independence Square during the Orange Revolution: "East and West are together!"

In Kyiv, a special Christmas celebration was held on January 7 in the national park near the capital city, where the Museum of Popular Architecture and the Life of Ukraine operates. In addition, the Office of the Mayor of Kyiv encouraged a renewal of Christmas celebrations. "We aren't simply recreating the image of how the Ukrainian village celebrated religious holidays, but are also trying to renew the traditions of our ancestors, so that today's generation does not forget its roots," said Tetiana Chuiko, the museum's ethnographer.

In the first three months of 2005, two hierarchs of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. traveled to Ukraine to meet with representatives of various Churches and Ukrainian governmental officials as part of the Church's continued efforts toward the establishment of an independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church in the independent state of Ukraine.

Archbishop Antony, ruling bishop of the Eastern Eparchy and president of the Consistory of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. visited Ukraine, accompanied by Hieromonk Daniel (Zelinsky), director of the Consistory Office of Public Relations, from February 28 through March 11. The archbishop met with hierarchs of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Andrii of Ivano-Frankivsk and Archbishop Makarii of Lviv, and with clergy who serve in the UAOC Patriarchal Office in Kyiv concerning recent developments in the life of the Church.

On March 11 the archbishop met with President Viktor Yushchenko to discuss the continued ecclesiastical struggles in Ukraine. He sought the government's assistance in resolving issues that divide the Church. The president expressed his deep desire to see a single, united Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine and indicated that he will work closely with all sides, in particular the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, to bring this unity about.

Archbishop Vsevolod, ruling bishop of the Western Eparchy, visited Ukraine as a representative of the UOC-U.S.A. and, in particular, of Patriarch Bartholomew, ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. The archbishop met with Patriarch Filaret, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate, with Metropolitan Volodymyr, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate and with Archbishop Makarii of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in Lviv.

On March 24 Archbishop Vsevolod also met with President Yushchenko. According to a press release from the Ukrainian government, during their discussions the president stressed that his government will not directly involve itself in ecclesiastical matters. "We stand for the equality of all Churches," the president said.

Archbishop Vsevolod made an important statement during the meeting with the president, which reflects the position of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople: "The position of the Mother Church, the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is that her daughter - the Moscow Patriarchate - consists of that territory, which it encompassed to the year 1686. The subjugation of the Kyivan Metropolia to the Moscow Patriarchate was concluded by Patriarch Dionysius without the agreement or ratification of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Great Church of Christ (the Patriarchate of Constantinople)."

A couple of months later, on May 1, Patriarch Filaret UOC-KP, said, "The Orange Revolution should help the creation and recognition of a national Church in Ukraine. The Ukrainian national Church already exists as the Kyivan Patriarchate."

He also said that Ukrainian President Yushchenko supports the creation of a national Church in Ukraine: "Every head of state should take care of the unity of the nation and the consolidation of society. How can society be consolidated if the Kyiv Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate oppose each other?" At the same time, Patriarch Filaret stressed that no Church can be established by presidential decree, because that would be state interference in Church affairs. The patriarch said he thinks a national Ukrainian Orthodox Church can be created by the clergy and the faithful, while the Constantinople Patriarchate should confirm its autocephalous status.

Later in the year, the Religious Information Service of Ukraine, citing unidentified sources, reported that Patriarch Filaret had met with Metropolitan Mefodii (Kudriakov), head of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church in the patriarchal building of the UAOC in Kyiv on August 11. The two Church leaders reportedly discussed the unification process of their Churches.

RISU also reported that on August 11 the Hierarchical Sobor Assembly of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) discussed the possibility of the unification of the UAOC with other Ukrainian Orthodox Churches into a single Ukrainian national Orthodox Church. Patriarch Filaret of the UOC-KP also attended the Sobor and offered his suggestion to unite into a single Church without any conditions on the part of the UAOC, with himself as one possible candidate for the head of the united Church.

The Sobor decided to hold a meeting in every eparchy of the UAOC on the unification issue as soon as possible and to summon the next Hierarchical Sobor in order to arrive at a final decision concerning the possible unification into a single national Church. According to the Sobor, the participation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, headed by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), is very important for the unification process. The Sobor decided to invite representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for active participation in the unification of the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches according to the canons of the Orthodox Church.

On August 12 the Religious Information Service of Ukraine received a statement from Archbishop Ihor (Isichenko), head of the Kharkiv and Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC, in which he criticized the unification process of the UAOC, headed by Metropolitan Mefodii and the UOC-KP. According to Archbishop Ihor, "it was affirmed at this meeting that the statutes of the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC will not be registered and the existence of the UAOC will at that time cease." The text of the archbishop's statement says that the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC would continue its ministry under the spiritual guidance of the UAOC in the diaspora.

Archbishop Ihor claimed that the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC had not received any official appeals or proposals concerning its participation in the unification process and he emphasized that "the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC firmly stands on the positions of the National Sobor [Assembly] of the UAOC in 2000." He said he believes that the creation of a single national Church is to be conducted in a canonical way under the spiritual guidance of the most holy ecumenical patriarch and his archbishops and not by the orders of state officials. Archbishop Ihor also stated that the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the UAOC "will decide its future in a canonical way at a sobor summoned by competent Church authorities."

In October the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. called upon Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople "to defend" Ukraine from "the machinations" of the Moscow Patriarchate. "We call upon the high pastor to take strict measures to guarantee sovereign Ukraine the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of a national Church, free from external Church control and interference, despite possible threats and machinations of the Moscow Patriarchate," read the text of the resolution by the Metropolitan Council of the UOC-U.S.A., which is under the jurisdiction of Constantinople. The text of another resolution adopted by the same council said that "the united Church in Ukraine," the creation of which our hierarchs should work on, is to be built "under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate."

Patriarch Filaret of the UOC-KP continued to press for Orthodox unity when on November 17 he called upon all clergy and laity of the UAOC to unite with the UOC-KP without the consent of the hierarchs of the UAOC. "Our Church is ready to accept parishes and clergy to the Kyiv Patriarchate in order to create a single national Orthodox Church in Ukraine," said Patriarch Filaret. He also blamed the bishops of the UAOC for breaking agreements about unification reached between the Churches in September-October. Patriarch Filaret emphasized that the bishops of the UAOC were trying to blame the UOC-KP for the halt in the unification process. He noted that most bishops of the UAOC began to impose demands which meant only one thing: a necessary prerequisite for unification should be the resignation of the head of the UOC-KP, which, he said, absolutely coincides with the position of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Patriarch Filaret said he is convinced that "external powers" stand behind all this. "Our neighboring country [Russia] and the Russian [Orthodox] Church are against the unification of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and the creation of a single national Church. The Moscow Patriarchate gains advantages from discord, not only in the political sphere but also in Church life. These powers are doing their best not to allow this unification," noted the patriarch. The patriarch said that, nevertheless, Ukrainian Orthodoxy will unite into a single national Church sooner or later.

Responding the next day, Metropolitan Mefodii of the UAOC said, "Ukraine will have a single national Church, but without the interference of political forces." He added, "The unification did not become a reality for one reason: it was not built by Patriarch Filaret in the spirit of love." The head of the UAOC noted: "Initially, my suggestion was to preserve the structures of both Churches, to revive eucharistic communion, and, for two or three years, or for as long as needed, to look for ways to full union and understanding, so that the clergy of both Churches would get used to it and felt no pressure." According to Metropolitan Mefodii, "All we were asking for was that, during the joint sobor [assembly], there should be not just Filaret but also other candidates running for the position of patriarch. We even suggested drawing lots, but the head of the UOC-KP rejected even this."

The head of the UAOC said that it is impossible to continue negotiations with the UOC-KP under the conditions presented by Patriarch Filaret.

Metropolitan Mefodii added that he is convinced the creation of a single national Orthodox Church in Ukraine is impossible without the participation of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), the biggest Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The UOC-MP, meanwhile, said that it had the right to unite Ukrainian Orthodoxy around itself, and the Churches of Ukraine should solve their problems themselves, without the interference of others, including the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Responding to journalists' questions on March 28, Patriarch Aleksei II, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, said: "We are aware that now is far from the best period in the history of canonical Orthodoxy in Ukraine. ... We value the support that rational forces are giving to the canonical Orthodox Church. An appeal to the patriarch of Constantinople could bring a new schism into the Church life of Ukraine, not stabilize it, and, on the contrary, complicate the situation in which Ukrainian Orthodoxy now finds itself. The Churches which are today on the territory of Ukraine should themselves solve their own problems, without outside influences. Because any interference will only complicate the situation and lead to new additions that will disastrously affect the Ukrainian Orthodox people."

Less than two weeks earlier, during his official visit to Ukraine on March 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP). "We always support friendly relations with the canonical Orthodox Church in Ukraine," said Mr. Putin at the meeting, "and Orthodoxy is one of the important cornerstones of our spiritual relations." Metropolitan Volodymyr characterized interdenominational relations in Ukraine as difficult and expressed hope that the situation would improve with the new government.

At year's end, the first All-Ukrainian Church-Civic Forum "For a Ukrainian National Orthodox Church" took place in the National Opera Hall in Kyiv. Participating in the December 13 forum were representatives of the episcopate, clergy and laity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate, state officials and social activists, politicians, scholars and artists, and representatives of the Ukrainian Kozaks, youth and other social unions.

The participants of the forum sent letters to President Yushchenko and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and appealed to the Ukrainian nation to support the establishment of the Kyivan Patriarchate as the Ukrainian national Orthodox Church. In addition, they created a church-civic committee "For a Ukrainian National Orthodox Church," with Archbishop Dymytrii and National Deputy Lilia Hryhorovych as co-chairs.

As regards the Ukrainian Catholic Church, its primate, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, traveled to Washington, where on March 4 he held a number of meetings related to the freedom of religious practices for the Church, as well as societal changes in Ukraine after the Orange Revolution. Accompanying the cardinal was Archbishop Stefan Soroka, metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States, and the Rev. Robert Hitchens, rector of St. Josaphat's Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Washington.

The Ukrainian National Information Service reported that in a meeting with Ambassador John Tefft, deputy assistant secretary of the European and Eurasian Affairs Bureau at the U.S. Department of State, Cardinal Husar expressed his concern regarding the restrictions that are imposed on the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) in the Russian Federation. The cardinal remarked that considering the long and complicated history of the Ukrainian nation's oppression by Russia, it is difficult to estimate the number of ethnic Ukrainians residing in the Russian Federation; however, multiple attempts by the UGCC to organize parishes and send pastors to Russia have been met with resistance from the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Ambassador Tefft replied that he is aware of this problem and that Protestant denominations that have attempted to set up congregations in Russia also have met resistance. "I assure you that we are already working with this issue. I will personally send a message to our Embassy in Moscow to raise this issue in the meetings with Russian authorities," said the ambassador. He also mentioned that these problems were pointed out in the State Department's Annual Human Rights Report for Russia, which triggered a very negative reaction from the Russian government.

Cardinal Husar visited with Mykhailo Reznik, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, and met with Mark Levin, executive director of NCSJ, an advocacy group for Jews in the former Soviet Union. The discussion centered on restitution of religious communal property in Ukraine and the formation of a council of religious denominations.

In April, Ukrainians of all faiths lit candles, worshipped and prayed as they mourned the passing on April 2 of Pope John Paul II. The pope's historic visit to Ukraine in 2001 - which he described as the fulfillment of "a wish that I have carried in my heart for a long time" - had a profound effect on all of Ukraine. Catholics and non-Catholics alike heard and took to heart the message delivered by the pope, who called himself a "pilgrim of peace." It was a message of unity, of ecumenism, of reconciliation and, perhaps most important of all, of recognition of the suffering and sacrifices of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, which had been banned and persecuted under the Soviet regime.

Ukraine's leaders, representing the nation's diverse spectrum of confessions and faiths, expressed their sympathies and condolences to the Vatican.

President Yushchenko sent a letter of condolence to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals that selects the pope's successor. "In the memories of Ukrainian citizens - Orthodox and Catholic, believers of other confessions, all who hold Christian values - there will always dwell a bright image of the Holy Father," Mr. Yushchenko wrote. "Ukrainians, who are proud of their close blood relation with this great person have always been deeply grateful for the sympathy and sincere love of His Holiness, for my people, his respect for our European history and culture. [He was] a symbol of good, peace, justice, and love of neighbor."

In a letter to clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Cardinal Husar wrote: "The holy memory of Pope John Paul II during his many years of service as successor to St. Peter is of a man of Providence. Today, as we emotionally live through the pain of loss, we lack the perspective of time to properly value his historic stature and his multi-faceted activity. ... that during the years of his pontificate he greatly helped our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in her passage from a state of captivity to a normal way of life. "Perhaps many of us feel regret that Pope John Paul II didn't complete all too well the beginning process of the rebirth of our Church, but the late Father himself stated that this is an act that in God's time will have its due fulfillment. He had hoped that he would be the one who accomplishes this, but it wasn't his fate."

"Of course, the pope's memory won't only be in the hearts of believing Catholics," said Metropolitan Filaret, the patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate. "Orthodox Christians will also remember him."

Metropolitan Volodymyr, leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, also sent a letter of condolence to the Vatican. He wrote: "The Pontificate of His Holiness John Paul II became one of the most important periods in the life of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope was a person who was not indifferent to the problems of the current world and openly called for peace, brotherhood, mutual respect and love." The UOC-MP is under the jurisdiction of the Moscow patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, whose leader would not issue an invitation to Pope John Paul II to visit Russia, something the pontiff had longed to do.

Unable to travel to Vatican City for Pope John Paul Il's funeral, Lviv's Catholics held their own ceremony to commemorate their spiritual leader. The night before the April 8 funeral, more than 5,000 people honored the pope by retracing the path he took when visiting Ukraine's bastion of Catholicism more than three years ago.

Those Ukrainian Catholic Church leaders who did manage to travel to the pope's funeral were Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Bishop Yulian Voronovskyi of the Sambir-Drohobych Eparchy, Bishop Milan Sashik of the Mukachiv Eparchy, Bishop Volodymyr Viytyshyn of the Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy and Holy Spirit Seminary Vice-Rector Sviatoslav Shevchuk. Two Ukrainian Catholic bishops permanently stationed in Rome also attended: Bishop Ivan Choma, Cardinal Husar's official representative in Rome, and Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv Hlib Lonchyna.

Cardinal Marian Jaworski, head of the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference of Ukraine, also attended the funeral. Archbishop Stephen Soroka of the Philadelphia Archeparchy, metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States, also traveled to Rome.

President and Mrs. Yushchenko also attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II at the Vatican on April 8.

Also in April, Cardinal Husar said he had "no intention to force the situation and declare himself patriarch." The cardinal said this in an interview published in 30 Days, an influential Italian magazine. Cardinal Husar said he believed that Ukraine's new president, Mr. Yushchenko, "would only benefit" from the establishment of a Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Patriarchate. However, the cardinal said he had no intention to act unilaterally and complicate the situation. "The creation of a patriarchate is a solemn event in the life of the Church, and it should proceed within the framework of legality," he stressed.

Once the successor to Pope John Paul II had been elected, Cardinal Husar spoke about the possible role of Pope Benedict XVI in the matter of a patriarchate for the UGCC and Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. "We are not expecting any radical changes in the structure of our Church, or any unforeseen new approaches. The patriarchate status is not a matter of radical change. The patriarchate, the patriarchal structure, is a normal way of existence, a normal structure of any Eastern Church with its own law [sui juris]. And every Church, as it develops and grows, comes to a certain point where the completion of this structure is quite natural, and not in any way radical," he said.

Cardinal Husar also said he thinks Pope Benedict XVI is well acquainted with the matter of patriarchates generally, and especially the UGCC Patriarchate, since discussion of this issue in the Roman Curia was requested by the late Pope John Paul II. The cardinal also said that the issue of a UGCC Patriarchate was recognized as absolutely legitimate, not as an unheard of radical change, which is why we should expect a normal further development of the matter, especially considering that it has been developing for so many years.

"Pope John Paul II of blessed memory did more than just confirm that a Patriarchate for our Church is justified and canonically right. He said he wanted to proclaim it himself. He did not get to do this for lack of time and life. However, the matter is moving, and I can foresee no special hold-ups and difficulties in the process," said Cardinal Husar.

Cardinal Husar said that the new pope is also "quite well-informed" about "some aspects" of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. "I myself gave him trouble," he said, laughing. "It's only been 15 years that [the Ukrainian Catholic Church] is legal [in Ukraine], so there are different problems, new situations that face our Church today that we had to submit [to the Holy See] to receive opinions," Cardinal Husar said. However, he observed that whenever he met with Cardinal Ratzinger, in his role as the Roman Curia's prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the future pope was "always very open to listen and to react."

But Pope Benedict should not be expected to be as familiar with the Ukrainian Catholic Church as was his predecessor, the cardinal explained. As a Pole, Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II) was a "neighbor, [who] lived under a Soviet Communist regime and had a very good understanding of the situation in Eastern Europe. "The present pope, coming from a different milieu, cannot be expected to have such a close understanding."

In an exclusive, 45-minute telephone interview with The Weekly conducted by Christopher Guly on the eve of a historic May 22 to 29 meeting of the Ukrainian Catholic Church's Permanent Synod in Winnipeg, Cardinal Husar said that though he didn't know when the Holy See would formally give him the title "patriarch," he said the Church is "going in that direction." The "difficulty," he explained, comes from two groups opposed to a Ukrainian Catholic Patriarchate. "Within the Church, there are fears that such a Patriarchate could separate us from the [Catholic] Church. And then there are also ecumenical considerations. There is much opposition on the part of some Orthodox neighbors," he said.

But Cardinal Husar said the creation of a Patriarchate would not give the Ukrainian Catholic Church "something extraordinary" based on "merit" or in recognition of the years of suffering the Church endured after being forced underground by the Soviets. "It is a natural form of existence," explained the white-bearded, five-foot-10, Lviv-born major archbishop.

However, Cardinal Husar who is often referred to as "patriarch," also rejected the idea of a Patriarchate as an all-or-nothing proposition. "There are those who say, 'If we have it, we'll survive; if we don't have it, we will not survive.' It is not that way. The Church has survived and it simply wants a [Patriarchate] within the bounds of its tradition - [and] within the concept of [Catholic] communion."

The Winnipeg meeting of the Ukrainian Catholic Church's Permanent Synod, which opened on May 22 with a pontifical divine liturgy, was the first time his "advisory group" of bishops had assembled in Canada. It was also only the second time that the Church's senior executive - which includes Cardinal Husar, U.S. Metropolitan Stefan Soroka, the archbishop of Philadelphia, as well as Bishops Michael Hrynchyshyn of France, Yulian Voronovskyi of the Ukrainian Eparchy of Drohobych-Sambir and Volodymyr Juszczak of the Polish Eparchy of Wroclaw-Gdansk in Poland - has met outside Ukraine.

Cardinal Husar also met with about 200 Ukrainian Catholic priests from across Canada (about two-thirds of the country's total), along with female and male members of religious communities and monasteries, deacons, seminarians and the wives of married clergy in a three-day workshop dubbed "Encounter 2005," which ran from May 24 to 26.

The year 2005 was notable also for the fact that the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople was invited to visit Ukraine. Following a request by President Yushchenko, State Secretary Oleksander Zinchenko paid a visit to Istanbul, Turkey, on March 15 to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Mr. Zinchenko delivered a personal message from the president, in which Mr. Yushchenko thanked the patriarch for his constant attention and sympathy toward Ukraine and invited him to visit Kyiv.

Patriarch Bartholomew stressed his special respect and sympathy for Ukraine and its people. He informed Mr. Zinchenko of his readiness for regular personal contacts with the Ukrainian president. Both sides stressed the importance of the state providing conditions for the harmonious development of all denominations and Churches in Ukraine, as well as the state's special role in the process of establishing and strengthening interdenominational peace.

Then, on June 8, President Yushchenko and Patriarch Bartholomew discussed religious issues in Ukraine during a meeting in Istanbul. "Ukrainian society awaits the creation of a single national Orthodox Church, but the unification question is exclusively the Church's question," pointed out President Yushchenko. Patriarch Bartholomew highly evaluated democratic changes in Ukraine and stated that Mr. Yushchenko's victory "opened a window to Europe for Ukraine."

In response, Mr. Yushchenko thanked Patriarch Bartholomew for his balanced position on this matter and invited him to visit Ukraine.

Also taking note of the new leadership in Ukraine was Rabbi Moshe-Reuven Azman, chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Kyiv Region, who expressed confidence that, under a Yushchenko presidency, Ukrainian-Jewish relations will get even better, reported Oksana Zakydalsky from Toronto, where the rabbi spoke on April 5. "Today, when the efforts of millions of Ukrainian citizens are crowned with success, we believe that during the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko, we will be able to move forward on the way to the strengthening of mutual understanding and respect between Ukrainians and Jews," he said.

Speaking at Beth Emmett Dais Yehuda Synagogue in Toronto at the invitation of the Jewish National Fund of Canada, the rabbi spoke very highly of Mr. Yushchenko, emphasizing that he has known the new president for many years and highlighting the fact that "in the midst of revolutionary events in the country, he joined us at our synagogue for Chanukah celebrations and, after his victory, he officially invited me to attend the ceremony of his inauguration."

He revealed that at the end of March President Yushchenko had signed a decree restoring the second building of the so-called Brodsky Synagogue to the Jewish community, something the community had been seeking for 10 years. Other projects of the community include: the restoration of old Jewish cemeteries and their designation as national architectural monuments under official governmental protection, the creation of a Jewish orphanage and the building of a museum at the site of Babyn Yar.

But for most of the period of the co-existence of Jewish and Ukrainian communities, political power rested elsewhere. "For the first time in its history, Ukraine has a president elected in the most democratic way - through an open declaration of the people's will. The people gathered together to support their candidate and to preserve their right to honest, transparent elections, the right to elect their government and to choose their destiny," he said.

"There were a lot of miracles on the maidan - people experienced moments of despair and joy of triumph. Yet, to my mind, the most incredible was the miracle of unification. Those people, who in frosty and slippery weather stood on the maidan, did not care who stood next to them whether rich or poor, young or old, Ukrainians or Jews. The main thing was that they were free people, who believed in their own power."

Also in the news headlines during 2005 was a religious and historic landmark in Kyiv. On February 3, ukranews.com had quoted Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko as saying that the City Administration of Kyiv plans to build a new Church of the Tithes on the site of the original structure. Anatolii Antoniuk, head of the Ukrainian Restoration Project Institute, told Mr. Omelchenko that the Institute's experts are studying the possibility of building a new Byzantine-style building in place of the old church. The Ukrainian Restoration Project Institute had considered the possibility of reconstructing the church as it was, but was forced to give up the idea for lack of credible information about the church's original appearance.

Whether or not the historic Church of the Tithes (Desiatynna Tserkva) in Kyiv will be reconstructed will be decided by a civic council created specifically for that purpose, said Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Mykola Tomenko at a press conference on March 4.

The Church of the Tithes was the first stone church in the medieval East Slavic state of Kyivan Rus'. The church was built by Rus' and Byzantine architects in the late 10th century, in the time of Grand Prince Volodymyr, who baptized Kyivan Rus'. The church is mentioned in the "Tale of Bygone Years," a medieval Rus' chronicle. Prince Volodymyr donated one-tenth, or a tithe, of his income for construction of the church, which gave the church its name.

The church was destroyed by the troops of Batu Khan in 1240. By decree of Russian Tsar Nicholas I, a new building was constructed in 1842, ruining the last remains of the old church. The new building was taken apart in 1935 because of the reconstruction of Kyiv. Today the foundation of the ancient church is preserved where the Church of the Tithes once stood.

Then, on April 18, it was announced that scholars and national deputies of Ukraine opposed another attempt by the government to reconstruct the Desiatynna Tserkva. They feared that archaeological excavations planned before construction would ruin a unique architectural park on Starokyivska Hill. Absence of reliable information on what the Tithe Church looked like was another argument. National Deputy Mykola Zhulynskyi, head of the Subcommittee on Culture and Spirituality, said the reconstruction of the 10th century Church of the Tithes is impossible and noted that international agreements ratified by Ukraine protect the preservation of architectural monuments.

In July it was reported that the mayor of Kyiv had ordered the commencement of archaeological excavations and research on the foundations of Kyiv's historic Church of the Tithes. "The city government is carrying out the president's wish: to determine whether it is realistic to rebuild the legendary church. Several churches had stood on the foundation, destroyed in different times. ... We have to understand what to reconstruct. As far as I'm concerned, the Church of the Tithes should not be reconstructed, since nobody knows its original appearance. But, I repeat, that is why archeological excavations are being conducted," said Oleksander Bystrushkin, head of the Main Administration for Cultural Affairs of the Kyiv City Administration.

In related news, the remains of Prince Volodymyr the Great, who reigned in 980-1015 in Kyivan Rus' and brought Christianity to his realm, were returned to the Monastery of the Caves (Pecherska Lavra) on July 24. Metropolitan Volodymyr of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate was to bring the relics back from Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Prince Volodymyr's remains were discovered by archeologists in 1635 in a marble sarcophagus of the Church of the Tithes in Kyiv. Part of the relics went to the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral; and part was placed in the Monastery of the Caves. The Kyiv relics were on loan to Leningrad prior to World War II for an anthropological study. The remains returning to Kyiv were transferred in the 1980s from the Kremlin to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary Cathedral in Rostov-on-Don.

Another major news story in Ukraine during 2005 was the transfer of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church's headquarters from Lviv to Kyiv.

Even before the move took place, the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) meeting in Moscow on July 16, heard a report by Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad criticizing the wish of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) to move its seat from western Ukrainian Lviv to Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The ROC hierarchs supported the metropolitan's position. The synod also expressed hopes of resolving existing problems and developing good relations with the Roman Catholic Church.

An information sheet attached to the synod's final resolution noted that, since the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Benedict XVI has stated his intention to develop cooperation between the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Churches. The sheet goes on to say: "However, despite encouraging statements by Pope Benedict XVI, relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Churches remain tense. In a meeting between Metropolitan Kirill and Cardinal Walter Casper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on June 22, the Catholic side again stated its intention to move the seat of the head of the UGCC from Lviv to Kyiv and to confirm his title of patriarch of Kyiv. The Orthodox side stated the inadmissibility of the idea of mentioning Kyiv in the title of the head of the UGCC and the transfer of his seat to the city from the canonical, ecclesiological and pastoral viewpoint."

Some Orthodox circles threatened conflict when Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church arrived in Kyiv to celebrate a divine liturgy marking the transfer of his seat from Lviv to Kyiv. The liturgy was slated for August 21 near the Patriarchal Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection, which is still under construction. Bratstvo, a radical political party led by Dmytro Korchynskyi, threatened "excesses," or problems, when the cardinal arrived. "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.

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 of the UOC-MP wrote to Pope Benedict XVI, telling him that 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."

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.

On August 21 more than 3,000 Ukrainian Greek-Catholics joined Cardinal Lubomyr Husar and the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church's leadership on August 21 to commemorate the historic transfer of the Church's headquarters from Lviv's St. George Square to the banks of the Dnipro River in Kyiv. Threats from Russian Orthodox radicals to stop the divine liturgy proved hollow, largely because of heavy security provided by more than 1,000 police officers and Berkut Special Forces who protected the Catholics and allowed them to take part in a worship led by Cardinal Husar, major archbishop of Kyiv-Halych.

He delivered a sermon on the subject of Christian love - a topic appropriate for an event that drew more than 800 Russian Orthodox who yelled anti-Halychyna slurs and heckled the faithful as they entered the worship area, an outdoor altar next to the cathedral under construction.

Kerchiefed older women were the most aggressive of the protesters, approaching the security barrier clutching icons and shouting at the Ukrainian Catholics. "Your grandfathers and ancestors were Orthodox!" they shouted. "We are all Orthodox, and so is Russia and Belarus!" Those phrases paled in comparison to the avalanche of slurs and chants from other protesters' such as "Banderites out of Ukraine," "Banderstad," "Fascists," "Inquisitors" and "Uniates get out."

Among the protesters were members of the Progressive Socialist Party, the Derzhava party and Bratstvo. Some waved blue and white flags symbolizing the Party of the Regions; one man held aloft a Russian flag. A handful of Russian Orthodox priests also participated in the protest, even holding a liturgy on their side of the barricade.

The Patriarchal Cathedral of Christ's Resurrection is located on the eastern side of the Dnipro, on the river's bank just opposite the Kyivan Caves Monastery (Pecherska Lavra). When completed, the cathedral is expected to be Kyiv's largest church.

Attending the ceremony were Ukrainian Catholic University Rector Borys Gudziak, Ukrainian World Congress President Askold Lozynskyj, National Deputy Andrii Shkil and Ukrainian pop star Taras Petrynenko, who performed his famous rendition of "Ukrayino" at a concert following the liturgy.

While the Moscow Patriarchate acted combatively, representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church were present at the liturgy and even sat alongside Archbishop Husar during a concert afterwards.

"This is not the Orthodox faith," Father Yevstratii Zoria, press secretary of the UOC-KP, said of the protesters. "The Orthodox faith is one of love, a faith of peace and a faith that preaches that we must act with peace and love with anyone regardless of their faith, confession or national identity. This is a mockery of Orthodoxy." The Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate maintains a neutral stance toward the Greek-Catholic see's transfer to Kyiv, Father Yevstratii said.

Both the UOC-KP and President Yushchenko described the Church's decision as "an internal matter." However, Father Yevstratii did add a caveat. "We hope the Greek-Catholic Church will respect the fact that most Ukrainians are Orthodox, and Kyiv is the center of a thousand-year Orthodox tradition," Father Yevstratii said. "We hope they won't proselytize, therefore, they won't interfere with Orthodox believers going to their Church, as a systematic program. Proselytizing was forbidden for Churches 10 years ago," he noted.

A wooden chapel at the site of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ under construction, was later reduced to ashes in an arson fire, police said. The fire was set inside the 538-square-foot chapel on November 19 between 5 and 6 a.m. A security guard immediately called police and firemen, but the chapel's wood burned quickly, and none of its contents could be saved. Only its concrete and steel foundation remained. "The guard had apparently fallen asleep," said Volodymyr Polischuk, the head of the Kyiv Department of Information of Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs. Prior to the fire, the chapel served as a place of worship where priests conducted divine liturgies. Now, priests conduct divine liturgies at the site from a temporary wagon placed on the foundation of the destroyed chapel.

During 2005 there was much activity surrounding the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv.

Cardinal Francis George, Roman Catholic archbishop of the archdiocese of Chicago, visited the Lviv region and Kyiv from May 10 to 18. A highlight of his trip was a visit to the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU). Among those in the cardinal's delegation were Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Richard Seminack of Chicago, Msgr. Martin Canavan of St. Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Cherry Hill, N.J., and John F. Kurey, Esq., president of the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation.

Cardinal George's first stop was St. George Cathedral in Lviv, where he was greeted by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. On May 11, the two cardinals concelebrated a memorial divine liturgy at the cathedral on the 40th day after the death of Pope John Paul II. Later that afternoon Cardinal George gave a press conference at the Ukrainian Catholic University. "This is my first visit to Ukraine," the cardinal told reporters. "One of the reasons I came to Ukraine was my desire to visit the Ukrainian Catholic University, for in Chicago a special foundation has been created that tries as much as possible to help this growing institution."

Later in the year, in the latter part of November, Cardinal George was seen on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network), which bills itself as global Catholic television, when it presented a special program about Lviv's Ukrainian Catholic University. Titled "Ukrainian Catholic University: A Light in the East," the program was part of the "Catholic Compass" series on EWTN. It carried commentary by Cardinal George; the Rev. Dr. Borys Gudziak, rector of UCU; and Prof. Jeffrey Wills; as well as comments by faculty and students of the Ukrainian Catholic University.

The Institute of Ecumenical Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv was inaugurated with an international ecumenical conference on June 13-14. Titled "Friendship as an Ecumenical Value," the conference drew approximately 300 participants: Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant, including more than 40 guests from the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Italy and Ukraine. The UCU now has nine research institutes.

Among the presenters at the conference were Archbishop Antony of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A., Dr. Konrad Raiser, former secretary general of the World Council of Churches; Konstantin Sigov, professor at the National University of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy (NUKMA); Archbishop Ihor Isichenko of the Kharkiv-Poltava Eparchy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church; and Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

"Ukraine can become 'a laboratory of unity,' " said Cardinal Husar during his greeting to the conference on June 13. "But in order for this to happen, it needs to get rid of political, economic and other factors that put obstacles on the road to mutual understanding... People happily welcome meetings and joint prayers by hierarchs of different denominations. So what are we lacking in order to achieve unity? I believe we are lacking a concrete idea of what we are looking for. People have a desire, but don't have a specific description," the cardinal emphasized. "Hundreds of people talk about ecumenism," Cardinal Husar continued. "But it's hard to find even a few people who can clearly explain what they understand by the word 'ecumenism.' "

On August 28 on a 42-acre site in suburban Lviv, the 123,785-square-foot Holy Spirit Seminary and Church of the Holy Spirit were blessed. More than 1,000 Christians and 14 Ukrainian Catholic bishops worshipped at a divine liturgy, led by Archbishop Major of Kyiv-Halych Lubomyr Husar. The Holy Spirit Seminary and Church of the Holy Spirit form the architectural and social focal point of the Ukrainian Catholic University's (UCU) ever-expanding Center of Theological Education and Formation campus on Khutorivka Street.

The center is a milestone in Ukraine's higher educational system, making the UCU the largest theological institution of higher education in the country. The center was western Ukraine's largest construction project during the last four years, university officials said. The campus' other main structure, the nearby 59,200-square-foot Faculty of Theology and Philosophy building and library, will open its doors in January 2006, said Dr. Jeffrey Wills, UCU vice-rector.

The center's primary source of financing was Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Frankfurt, Germany-based international Catholic charity founded by the Dutch priest Father Werenfried van Straaten in 1947. ACN contributed about $4.9 million to the center's construction. UCU Rector Father Borys Gudziak, estimated that the Ukrainian diaspora of North America contributed $150,000 to the center's construction.

The Rev. Borys Gudziak, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), completed two tours of North American Ukrainian communities during 2005 in an effort to raise awareness of and support for the university. Between March 29 and April 11 he visited Toronto, Los Angeles, Florida, Washington, Baltimore and Detroit. In November he visited New York, Chicago and Detroit.

For the first time in almost 90 years, Ukrainian children may have the option of studying Christian ethics in public schools, Yana Sedova of our Kyiv Press Bureau reported in July. Including Christian ethics in the school curriculum is an initiative proposed by Ukrainian President Yushchenko and supported by the leaders of Ukraine's four largest Christian confessions: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Deciding that the need for moral education surmounted any divisions among the confessions, the leaders are putting together a curriculum that will teach universal Christian principles. They've established a joint Church-education commission and are preparing the first textbook. The Christian ethics course won't teach the beliefs of any one particular confession. Interpreting beliefs or teaching rituals, such as prayer, would be forbidden.

On June 2 it was announced that a new bishop had been appointed for the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The Rev. Mitred Mykola Simkailo, administration of the Cathedral of the Holy Resurrection in Ivano-Frankivsk and dean of the Ivan-Frankivsk Eparchy, was tapped as bishop of Kolomyia-Chernivtsi. His episcopal ordination took place on July 12, and his installation occurred the next day.

At the same time, it was announced that Bishop Volodymyr Viytyshyn, administrator of the Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Eparchy, was named as the bishop of Ivano-Frankivsk. Bishop Viytyshyn was installed on July 12. He took the place of Bishop Sofron Mudryi, who had tendered his resignation as eparch of Ivano-Frankivsk.

On December 21 Pope Benedict VI blessed the decision of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) concerning the appointment of Father Dionisii Liakhovych, a priest of the Order of St. .Basil the Great, as a curial bishop of the major archbishop of Kyiv and Halych (Patriarch Lubomyr Husar) and the appointment of Father Dr. Bohdan Dziurakh, a priest of the Redemptorist Order, as auxiliary bishop of the UGCC's Kyiv-Vyshhorod Archeparchy.

The UOC-KP also announced new appointments at the end of 2005. A session of the Church's Holy Synod headed by Patriarch Filaret, took place on December 14. Because of the death of Metropolitan Danyil (Chokaliuk) of Rivne and Ostroh, the synod decided to appoint Metropolitan Yevsevii (Politylo) of Poltava and Kremenchuk as metropolitan of that area, preserving his position as regular member of the synod. Archimandrite Mykhail (Bondarchuk), treasurer of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery, was appointed bishop of Poltava and Kremenchuk.

Meanwhile, in the diaspora, a new bishop for Western Europe was consecrated by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church on December 13 at St. Volodymyr Cathedral in Chicago. The new hierarch is Bishop Andriy (Peshko), who was elected during the ninth Sobor of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Diaspora held on October 20-23 in London, after the Standing Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond the Borders of Ukraine nominated him for the position. Bishop Andriy's seat is in the British capital.

In the United States, at least three parishes marked milestones during 2005.

St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church, located in New York City's East Village on the corner of Seventh Street and Taras Shevchenko Place, marked its centennial. Among the events celebrating the historic anniversary was the 29th annual Ukrainian Festival held on May 13-15, which this year was dedicated to the parish's centennial. On October 16 the parish celebrated a special divine liturgy, with Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy and Bishop Walter Paska assisted by local clergy, including the pastor, the Very Rev. Barnard Panczuk, OSBM. The liturgy was followed by a biblical dramatization presented by theater students and seminarians, and a festive luncheon with an entertainment program.

Chicago's St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral Parish on December 4 began the celebration of its centennial with a hierarchical divine liturgy and banquet at which the parish's Centennial Calendar and Centennial Renewal Project were introduced. St. Nicholas Parish was founded at a meeting held on December 31, 1905, at which several families recently arrived from western Ukraine agreed to form a parish and purchase a church. The parish's centennial celebration is slated to conclude in November 2006.

Holy Ascension Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Clifton, N.J., celebrated its 80th anniversary with special services and a banquet on November 6. On that occasion the parish was visited by the leader of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate, His Holiness Filaret, who in 2005 marked the 10th anniversary as patriarch. During his weeklong visit the patriarch also visited various Ukrainian community institutions, including the Ukrainian Naltional Association, the Shevchenko Scientific Society, The Ukrainian Museum and St. George Ukrainian Catholic Parish in New York, as well as Ukraine's Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Ukraine's Consulate General in New York, where a reception was held in Patriarch Filaret's honor.

Also during 2005, a Ukrainian Catholic mission parish was established in Brighton Beach, N.Y., to serve the area's growing community of new immigrants from Ukraine. A small Roman Catholic church, St. Margaret Mary's, opened its doors to the Ukrainians on May 8, the date of the first weekly Ukrainian Catholic liturgy celebrated there. In a June 5 story in The Ukrainian Weekly, the Very Rev. Panczuk said of the 37,000 Ukrainians who now live in the area, up to 15,000 remain "churchless." The proposal for the newly organized parish was introduced by Father Panczuk, superior and pastor of St. George Ukrainian Catholic Church in New York City, with the help of Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of the Brooklyn diocese and Bishop Basil Losten of the Stamford Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church. St. Margaret Mary's Church is situated at 215 Exeter St. in Manhattan Beach.

The All Saints Camp Committee of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. and many friends and supporters of the camp on Saturday, March 19, participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the chapel at All Saints Camp. Metropolitan Constantine of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. celebrated the ceremony along with Fathers Charles Baxter, John Nakonachny, George Hnatko, Stephen Repa, Stephan Zencuch and Mark Philips, Deacons Anthony Perkins and Dennis Lapushinsky, and over 70 friends and supporters of the camp. The All Saints Camp was purchased 27 years ago for the purpose of providing a place where Orthodox Christians could come to enjoy fellowship with one another amidst the beauty of God's creation. From the very beginning, the All Saints Camp Committee's goal was to build a chapel on the grounds of the camp.

As 2005 drew to a close, there was news from Ukraine that on December 28 President Yushchenko marked the religious holiday of Chanukkah with the Jewish community of Kyiv. The president greeted Jews on their holiday, stressing that he would spare no effort to ensure that representatives of all nationalities and religions could preserve and develop their traditions, culture and language. He wished all who celebrate Chanukkah, good health, peace, happiness and inspiration.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 15, 2006, No. 3, Vol. LXXIV

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