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Ukrainian Catholics threaten ecumenism, Russian Orthodox leaders warn

Moscow, Jun. 30 (CWNews.com) - In talks last week with the leaders of the Patriarchate of Moscow, the president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity heard Russian Orthodox leaders warn that Catholic activities in Ukraine remain a "serious obstacle" to ecumenical progress.

Cardinal Walter Kasper (bio - news), who was in Moscow from June 20 to 23, spoke with Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk, the chief ecumenical representative of the Moscow patriarchate. The Orthodox leader expressed keen concern about the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and particularly the plans relocate the headquarters of the Byzantine-rite Church in Kiev.

For many years, Ukrainian Catholics-- who constitute the largest Eastern Christian community in full union with the Holy See-- have argued that their Church should be given the status of a patriarchate, similar to that enjoyed by other Eastern Catholic churches. But Orthodox leaders, particularly in Russia, have warned the Vatican that the creation of a Ukrainian Catholic patriarchate would prompt a complete breakdown in Orthodox-Catholic dialogue.

Pope John Paul II (bio - news)-- who frequently expressed his deep admiration for the Ukrainian Catholic community and its stalwart endurance under Soviet persecution-- had indicated that in principle he supported the creation of a Byzantine patriarchate in Ukraine. But he asked Ukrainian Catholics to be patient, recognizing the damage that could be done to Catholic-Orthodox relations worldwide. During his June stay in Moscow, Cardinal Kasper told reporters that Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) "holds the same position as John Paul II" on that question.

Meanwhile Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, announced last May that he will move his See from Lviv to Kiev, locating the headquarters of the Eastern Catholic Church in the country's capital. Russian Orthodox leaders, who retain close ties to the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, see that move as an affront, complaining that the Ukrainian Catholic Church is deliberating seeking to extend its influence in traditionally Orthodox territory.

I'm beginning to believe that the Russian Orthodox Church IS the ecumenical problem.

A might makes right church needs to look in the mirror.

Joe

If I could be "Pope for a week"
I'd do two things:

1) immediately erect the Ukrainian
Catholic Patriarchate
2) consecrate Russia to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, as requested by Our
Lady at Fatima

(but what do you expect, I'm a right-wing
Latin Rite Traditionalist, after all....)


antonius

Joe [/qb][/QUOTE]If I could be "Pope for a week"
I'd do two things:


2) consecrate Russia to the Immaculate
Heart of Mary, as requested by Our
Lady at Fatima

[/QB][/QUOTE]

I have always wondered what this actually meant...what is the point? What do Catholics actually believe will happen if this consecration goes ahead?

Anton

I thought Russia has already been conscecrated. Several times. Strange that -- where did I ever get that notion?

Our Lady of Kazan, pray for us!

AMEN, Joe! I love the Russian Orthodox, but their leadership in Moscow rarely offers anything constructive. Perhaps as the head of the world's largest Orthodox jurisdiction, Patriarch Alexi doesn't feel he has anything to lose?

I say go forward with the Patriarchate and wait for a new leader who will take the Christian call to unity seriously.

After "dissing" St. John Paul the Great's humble overtures for years, at least this explains his renewed interest in "dialogue", which loosely translated in Russian means "wanton destruction of Eastern Catholicism". I wonder if Herr Kasper is up to the task of standing firm for the Catholic East?

Gordo

Not reported in this brief news clip is the response of the Cardinal to the Moscow Patriarch. In something of a departure (at the specific instruction of the new pope), the Cardinal responded that it is not correct for one Church to answer for another, and that the UGCC is a Church, and the complaints and objections of the Moscow Patriarchate should be made directly to the leadership of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and not to the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. In effect, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church can speak and answer for itself!

Is this not a remarkable shift?

Nick

Dear Friends,

What is clear is that Cardinal Kasper is going to get a very good lesson in ecclesial politics from the Russian Orthodox.

Even if the good Cardinal were to decry the establishment of the UGCC in Kyiv and say it wasn't "canonical" (it is fast becoming the reality that to be a Ukrainian Christian today, nomatter what your jurisdiction or Church, is to be an "uncanonical" one), the ROC would place yet another request of an anti-UGCC nature.

What is truly scandalous is that Cardinal Kasper and the Vatican has yet to ask for the ROC to apologise for collaborating with the Soviet Union in the destruction of the UGCC in 1946.

If this is not to be had because the ROC will say that guns were pointed at its head, then at least the ROC could, for example, affirm that the Synod of Lviv of 1946 is an uncanonical one or an invalid one?

And drop the process for Fr. Kostelnyk? Fr. Kostelnyk's family was imprisoned by the Soviet police and he was hardly free to do anything of his own volition.

And for years afterwards, all the Orthodox priests of western Ukraine (ie. Greek-Catholic priests forced to become Orthodox) HAD to attend the annual panakhyda for Fr. Kostelnyk, whose grave was made into a shrine by the Soviet authorities!

The Russian Church can at least do this to show its good will.

Otherwise, the talks are a real sham and one more instance of Rome offending the UGCC for political purposes of talks with Moscow for the sake of "ecumenism."

How Rome can tell other countries and societies about injustice when it itself engages in such is beyond telling!

Alex

Dear Nick,

If the Cardinal truly believes that, then he should allow the UGCC to speak for itself!

Also, is not the UGCC part of the Catholic Church as well? Is it not integrally united with Rome?

And did not the UGCC suffer for that union with Rome?

So how is it that Rome has NOTHING to say about the Synod of Lviv of 1946 to the Moscow Patriarchate?

Perhaps we should stop commemorating the Pope in our Liturgies and tell Rome to do the commemorations itself?

Alex

How big is the ROC relative to the
other Orthodox jurisdictions?

antonius

The ROC-MP is, potentially, about half of worldwide Orthodoxy?

Amado

Well, the Patriarch gave a pretty good answer (quoted above), I thought.

Nick

We all know that the ROC-MP will never stop demanding things until every Greek Catholic in Ukraine (and in Russia) is Russian Orthodox.

Rome should stop the shenanigans now, and stop acting like the MP has any control over what the Catholic Church does and why.

Why do we even want communion with such an unjust and overdemanding Church? We're doing just fine as it is.

Let the Ukrainian Catholic Church move its headquarters to Kyiv, and let us celebrate that moment for all it's worth! If the MP really desires a truly Christian unity, they will accept this. If it doesn't, then why are we wasting our time and energy?

Oooh, Antonius, I like you already.

Logos Teen

Dear Teen Logo,

Long time no hear from!

How have you been, Big Guy?

Patriarch Joseph Slipyj always had a prayer to the Sacred Hearts in his prayerbook, including the Consecratory Prayer.

Rome has essentially distanced itself from Fatima in this regard, saying the "conditions for the conversion of Russia" have already been fulfilled.

I do know Orthodox priests who believe in Fatima and say that nowhere did Our Lady mention "conversion to Catholicism" but they understand her as having referred to "conversion back to Orthodox religious practice."

And, from that point of view, certainly the prophecy has come true!

Alex