Dear Friends,

Here is a link with pictures and two videos of the consecration of the patriarchal sobor of the Holy Resurrection in Kyiv:

http://www.kyrios.org.ua/church/ugc...rshij-sobor-voskresinnja-hristovogo.html

The videos are further down the page. The second video, a newser, states that the head of the UGCC consecrated the main UGCC place of worship in Kyiv, the patriarchal sobor, which is the fourth such place of worship in the Ukrainian capital. More than 17,000 pilgrims came to Kyiv for the consecration from all over Ukraine, Russia, Estonia, Argentina, Canada, the U.S. and elsewhere.

Patriarch Svyatoslav placed the Relics of Saints into the altar including those of Sts Peter and Paul, of St Andrew the Apostle who first consecrated the hills of Kyiv, those of Sts Clement and Martin, popes of Rome, who lived and died in Crimea, of St Josaphat and of the Blessed New Hieromartyrs, Nicholas Charnetsky and Josaphat Kotsylowsky.

After the Divine Liturgy, the faithful present renewed their Baptismal vows as the event also celebrated the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus'.

Alex

Where are all the icons?!

Desertman, it looks like it is very much still under construction.

Oh! That would explain it then!

More photos
Consecration of the Holy Table and the Cathedral [ugcc.tv]

Transfer of the relics [ugcc.tv]

Moleben at St Volodomyr's statue [ugcc.tv]

Dear Anhelyna,

Very nice!

In the background of the first photo is the "flag of St Andrew" with a light blue St Andrew's Cross against a white background (it could also be yellow ).

They included the relics of the two Popes Sts. Clement and Martin. It's interesting that the three popes ever to have set foot in Ukraine/Crimea are all Saints.

(Oh, there was also one Alexandrian pope, the Oriental Orthodox St Timothy Aelurus ("the Cat") of Alexandria who was exiled to the area.)

The relics of the Patriarch-Confessor Josyf Cardinal Slipyj were also interred in the Cathedral, as per his wish in his Last Will and Testament. UGCC leaders also wanted to place there the relics of Met. Isidore of Kyiv, a Greek who signed the Union of Florence and was later banished from his See by the ruler of Muscovy - but his remains have not yet been found. After the fall of Constantinople, Met. Isidore spent the rest of his life winning freedom for as many of his Greek compatriots as he could (indeed, in some sources he is called "Saint Isidore" as in Holweck's Dictionary of Saints, 1924).

Alex

You can thank my GodPapa for the links I gave - I've not managed to see any of the streaming from Kyiv this weekend having had a visitor , so he sent me the links to the piccies to satisfy my curiosity

Head of Ukrainian Catholics thanked Catholics in Lithuania for support during times of Soviet persecution


http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/ukraine_and_world/international_relations/53412/
18 August 2013


Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), following the demand of the Greek Catholic priests and bishops who were serving in times of persecution (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was liquidated in 1946 by Soviet regime and operated as underground Church for more than 40 years), thanked the Lithuanian Catholic Church for their support at the time of the communist regime.

Words of gratitude Head of the UGCC delivered after the consecration of the Cathedral in Kyiv to the papal legate - Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis from Lithuania.

"I take advantage of this opportunity to accomplish a will of bishops, priests, monks and nuns of our persecuted Church. They bequeathed on behalf of our Church to express a gratitude to the Catholic Church of Lithuania ", - he said.

Patriarch Sviatoslav said that Lithuanians were showing the true Christian solidarity to Ukrainian Greek Catholics in times of persecution in the Soviet Union.

"How many of our bishops went there in order to become stronger in faith and how many books - spiritual literature, catechisms, prayer books were printed there in order to feed with the Word of God the faith of Ukrainian people. And now is the best moment in history, when we, on behalf of the whole Church, would like to say "Thank you."

He also thanked the papal legate for his presence at the dedication of the cathedral, adding that the visit to Kyiv of Lithuanian Cardinal also has a symbolic meaning, because "this year, Ukrainian eyes will look to Lithuania, Vilnius." Head of UGCC meant the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius which is to be held in November.

Dear Slave-Lady,

How old is your Godfather? The "piccies" are very nice!

Could we have one of you?

Alex

Lithuanian Catholics rock!!

My grandfather's family came from Lithuania . . .

And Vilnius was once part of the Kyivan Metropolia. Sts Anthony, John and Eustace of Vilnius, martyred by the pagan Olgerde, were glorified by the Metropolitan of Kyiv.

In Vilnius, there is the "Sharp Gate" over which is the beautiful Lithuanian icon of "Ostra Brama" (an icon of the Annunciation).

People would "break their hats" or take off their hats as they walked under the gate in honour of our Lady.

When the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko was there, he saw some students who refused to take off their hats in this way and later wrote a very brief poem about them: "... and they wouldn't break their hats at Ostra Brama . . . but you can always tell an idiot by the way he walks . . ."

Alex

Tsk Alex - my GodPapa is a little more than half my age - and that's all I'm saying

He finds lots of informative pictures for me and does a LOT of teaching using the content of some of these.

The 1025th anniversary of the Baptism will be a time of grace for the whole Ukrainian nation, Pope Francis

[Linked Image]

18 August 2013 | Vatican
http://risu.org.ua/en/index/all_news/catholics/vatikan/53411

On the occasion of the celebration 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus' and the consecration of August 18 in Kyiv, Patriarchal Cathedral Church Pope Francis sent the letter, read by papal legate Cardinal Cardinal Audrys Juozas Bačkis.

Pope Francis wrote: "The celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus proves that the path to full unity among all the disciples of Christ is not a luxury but a deep need, a need for consistent and effective proclamation of the message of Christ and to witness the unity of that Christ asked the Father before his final act of sacrificial love".

Pope Francis hopes that the memory of the baptism of Rus-Ukraine will become a new impetus for the Church in evangelization and pastoral activities, and celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism will be a time of grace for the whole Ukrainian nation and for all the people.

"Let the celebration of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Kyivan Rus will be a moment of grace for the whole Ukrainian nation and for all people who celebrate this great event, also for Orthodox brethren. But let it also be an appeal for real sense of personal responsibility on the part of all institutions and all people to follow the example of St. Volodymyr and to work for the common material and spiritual good of the nation; an appeal for ecumenical responsibility to pray to God for the gift of unity among all Christians and thus be builders of unity; an appeal to look with confidence and hope in the future God shows us; an appeal to intensify our work of evangelization and pastoral work in its various aspects, "- said the Pope in his greeting.

Full text of the message in Ukrainian -http://risu.org.ua/ua/index/resourses/church_doc/ugcc_doc/53410/

LETTER OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II TO CARDINAL JOSEPH SLIPYJ FOR THE MILLENIUM OF CHRISTIANITY IN RUS -
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/j...p-ii_let_19790616_1000-crist-rus_en.html

Good

That will soon be four popes to become saints with the upcoming canonization of Blessed Pope John Paul II, who visited Ukraine in November 2001.

Don't wish to offend anyone, but to be perfectly honest, that rather modern looking church doesn't particularly impress me.

Yeah, this is beginning to get a bit troubling. Does winning the election automatically make you a saint?

If you believe that if the electors were guided by the Holy Spirit in the choice, you would think that might be an indication of being on the "Fast Track". As long as they were faithful to gospel.

Dear Amigo Griego,

I meant St John Paul II as the third pope. So the tally is: St Clement I, St Martin I, and St John Paul II.

Alex

Dear Lawrence,

Actually, I agree with you! It is just too modern a building.

And, personally, I secretly hoped that, by now, there would be perfect unity between the UGCC and Ukrainian Orthodoxy so that there would not have been a need for separate UGCC churches and the cathedral in Kyiv.

And why couldn't the UGCC kept its main centre in Lviv, and not venture into Kyiv which is really an Orthodox city?

Just some thoughts.

Alex

Dear Stuart,

Well, not automatically. But St John Paul II certainly grew tremendously in his experience of Theosis in Christ by means of the Holy Spirit.

And miracles through his intercession have been reported to Rome (in their thousands) even by agnostics.

Anyone who could appeal to people of all stripes like that was certainly very special, to say the least.

When I was at the legislature, I worked on a proposed legislative bill to declare a "Pope John Paul II Day" in Ontario. The petition we sent out came back with thousands of signatures, 5,000 signatures in only one day (I counted the petition signatures three times because no one believed there were that many signatories in one 24-hour period).

One of the signatories came in to see me, an Orthodox Jew who said his father insisted he bring in his petition. He said Pope John Paul saved his father's life during the war, hiding him and then working with the Underground to get him out of Europe.

If the Vox Populi has anything to do with it (and I think you would strenuously insist that it does), then I saw the Vox Populi speak very loudly even when it came to this secular endeavour.

As for winning the election, as you know, the Coptic Popes of Alexandria are ALL canonized saints in that Church, beginning with St Mark the Evangelist.

Alex

I personally liked the way the people of Rome called for JP2's canonization at the time of his funeral--almost like the way the people of Milan once called for Ambrose to be named bishop!

I think we've had a discussion on that. I don't recall the name of the thread.

I remember that thread, but don't remember any infallible pronouncements on the conclusion!

You Rock!

Alex

I am not a fan of modernist looking Churches either, but I hope the general appearance of the building will improve when more iconography is placed on the walls inside.

It's far from complete. Of course it will "improve".

The church can be listed as one of the ugliest I have ever seen. Could make the cover of "Ugly As Sin" book.

Well, I've seen worse Churches in my travels. . .

However, that's not what will make or break it. We Eastern Christians, Catholic, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox etc. can sometimes surround ourselves with beautiful icons, church buildings, chants and vestments in the midst of thick clouds of incense.

That may gratify many of us, but its not all that is about Christianity.

As a religion teacher to hundreds of Eastern Catholics and Orthodox over the last twenty years, I know there are so many adults and teenagers who attend Church with all that wonderful "Eastern beauty" but whose lives are empty because Christ isn't in them.

The events in Kyiv last weekend at least had this going for them - they exuded the Presence of Christ.

I felt this only by seeing the videos and speaking with those who were in attendance.

I would trade that Presence for all the icons, incense and cupola-laden church roofs in the world.

There is a crisis in our pews and that is the crisis of prayer and worship. Yes, liturgical and ecclesial beauty can aid that immeasureably. So why is it that so many adults don't have a prayer life but go to Church and Communion every Sunday, and may even sing in the choir?

What terrible crisis are we really in?

Alex

Um ... okay.

[Linked Image]

Your'e absolutely right! My bad. Read the post incorrectly. Thank you for the correction.

I wouldn't go that far. It certainly doesn't look like this: http://veneremurcernui.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/fuksas-575x351.jpg

The cathedral does look like a church to me, although modern in style. I am not crazy though about the green dome- I believe it is copper that since changed color.

Not sure why the UGCC went for a modern look. I wished it had looked more like the future cathedral in Kyiv for the UOC-MP: http://festzmi.org/sites/festzmi.org/files/imagecache/highslide_full/IMG_1360.JPG

I did not know that the Borg Collective had its own Church.

I agree that the Church in the linked picture is a pretty structure. It clearly looks like a Church instead of a missile silo.

Well, this is the planned iconostasis [kyivsobor.ugcc.org.ua] for the patriarchal cathedral.

The church on the picture looks like ALL orthodox churches built in Russia - and like they have always been. It is not bad but it is not unique.

I like the new UCC Cathedral much better.

Because Kyiv is a capital of Ukraine and UCC is not Orthodox.

Dear Voxy,

Kyiv is the capital of Ukraine? Thank you!!

The UCC is not Orthodox? Thank you, once again!

What would I do without you . . . ?

Alex

Did UOC-KP send a rep ? I suspect MP did not. Just curious.

Yes, the UOC-KP did send a representative and the Kyivan Patriarch did issue a formal letter of best wishes to the UGCC for the occasion.

Alex

Perhaps you've never seen Sacred Heart in Livonia (BCCA):
[Linked Image]

Would that all Greek Catholic cathedrals have the liturgical life of the Sobor of the Resurrection:
Monday-Friday:
Matins and Hours 6:30
Divine Liturgy
Vespers 6:00 p.m.

Saturday:
Matins and Hours 6:30
Divine Liturgy
Great Vespers and Matins (Vigil/Vsenischne) 6:00 p.m.

Sunday:
Hours 7:00
Divine Liturgy
Vespers 6:00 p.m.
Akathist 6:40 p.m.

Absolutely!!

On the other hand, they are following closely the liturgical standard of the Kyiv-Caves Lavra and the Orthodox Churches of Kyiv.

"Nec plus, nec minus, nec aliter" takes on new meaning in such a case.

Alex

We have more than a few oddities building wise on the Orthodox side of things, but I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings about their Church building..... but you're right, the one you posted is ugly on the outside for sure.... but it is what's inside that counts....

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacred-Heart-Byzantine-Catholic-Church-in-Livonia-MI/155504671156600

You will find the very spartan looking interior.

What??!! No recitation of the rosary scheduled???!!!
Just Kidding!!!

Anyway, is there full video of the consecration?