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Ukrainian Authorities Keeping a Closer Eye on Catholic Priests

Security Service Curious About Finances and Political Climate

ROME, SEPT. 17, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Catholic priests are increasingly being monitored by officers of Ukraine's security service SBU, the former KGB, an official of the group Aid to the Church in Need told Keston News Service.

A Greek Catholic priest from eastern Ukraine, who visited Germany recently, was just the latest to mention regular visits by SBU agents to his home, the official reported.

"This is not the old war against religion," declared the official, who preferred not to be named. "But for the priests involved, it is certainly discomforting."

The chief press officer of the SBU denied that any Catholic priests were being questioned. "The SBU doesn't interfere in religious questions or the life of churches," Oleksandr Skrupnyk told Keston from Kiev.

But the Aid to the Church in Need official, who has regular contact with Catholic priests from all over Ukraine, referred to many complaints from Church workers about their phones being tapped. One new area of enquiry recently has been the financial state of individual Catholic parishes and organizations. "Such financial monitoring is being stepped up," he said.

The SBU is also interested in Catholic priests as a source of information on the general political mood of the population.

"They knock on the door, introduce themselves as being from the secret police, and start asking questions," the official quoted the visiting priest as saying. Some priests just laugh about such visits, the official added, but some express concern about what this might lead to, given the traditional anti-Catholic sentiment in the east of the country being fanned anew by the Moscow Patriarchate in the wake of the recent establishment of new Latin- and Greek-Catholic dioceses in eastern Ukraine.

The official noted that several years ago, Greek Catholic Bishop Yulian Boronovskyi of Sambir-Drohobych publicly told the SBU not to question Catholic priests and not to expect them to cooperate with such enquiries because it is forbidden them under Church law. "However, the SBU has obviously not given up trying," the official said.

The papal nuncio in Kiev, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, said that he was unaware of any stepped-up questioning of Catholic priests by the SBU. He also said he was unconcerned by any surveillance.

"We have no secrets," the nuncio said. "Anyone can come to our services and hear what our Church is doing."

God willing, those members of the Secret Police will observe the clergy's good example and Christian witness, and give glory to our Father, who is in heaven. May they by God's grace, be always a convincing witness!

Why a Secret Police in a supposedly democratic nation?

Glory to Jesus Christ!
Cooperating with the police is against Church law? Since when? Why? Just wondering. God Bless!

Nik, Bishop Julian himself as well as most of his Studite monks were incarcerated and persecuted in Soviet times. Why should they feel compelled to cooperate with those who harass them simply because of their religious affiliation? Some of these officials are the same persons who were formerly KGB. I can appreciate Bishop Julian's hesistancy.

Dear Nik,

Diak is right.

Such cooperation "over there" is a definite intrusion into the life of the Church and the state clearly wants to renew a form of Church control.

As Brian asked, the state is still basically run Soviet-style and true democracy is a long way off.

The Russian Orthodox used to cooperate with the secret police in a number of ways that hurt the Church herself, as did Orthodox and Catholics in other countries, at other times.

It is imperative for both Catholics and Orthodox to reject pressures emanating from the state to use them for state purposes.

The expulsion of the Latin priests from Russia was conducted by the state in favour of the Russian Orthodox Church.

The Russian Church has every right to protest Catholic whatever in its jurisdiction.

What I am disappointed in is the Church's refusal to protest the state's involvement in religious affairs in this way.

This can be a series of precedents that can come back to bite the Moscow Patriarchate in its exposed derriere in future, if it is not careful.

Alex

Slava Isusu Christu!

Dear Deacon Diak and Alex,

you are both right on this issue. It seems after many years the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church is still fighting persecution and intolerance at home. Yes all Studites, Priests, and Bishops should be protesting the states inteference with their religion. It does set a dangerous precedence. Yes these are the same predecesors of the KGB who are now part of Ukraine's new security force.

And yes, there is still interference from the communist mind-set regarding purely religious matters, educational matters, and human rights issues in a supposedly free independent country.

It is the communist mind-set of intolerance, persecution, and atheism that I worry about. As Saint/Patriarch Josyp Slipj encouraged in countless pastoral letters and books the Ukranian Greek Catholic Church should stand as a bullwark against atheism, intolerance, and heavy handed tactics. Only when we stand as this united bullwark can we progress.

The Security Service of Ukraine ("Sloozhba Bezpeky
Ukrayiny") is NOT a "secret" police. It's like
the FBI in the US.

sincerely,
subdeacon Peter

Dear Subdeacon Peter,

Yes, it is not a "secret police."

It just acts like one.

Alex

...as all such organizations all around the world.

Sincerely,
subdeacon Peter

Dear Piotr,

Niech bedzie pochwalony Jezus Christus!

I think you should travel to North America a bit more . . .

Alex

???

??? Have you become a Pole or what?
BTW: correct spelling is "Chrystus", not "Christus" - and "bedzie" needs a diacritical mark under the first "e" ("będzie").

One doesn't need to visit America in order to know that FBI exists. You mean travel to Waco perhaps?

sincerely,
subdeacon PETER (Petro)

Dear Piotr,

Actually, I have strong Polish ethnicity in my background (Jablonowskie) - but I never studied the Polish language nor do I know it like you .

I'm only saying that comparing the FBI to the new KGB in Ukraine shows ignorance of both police forces - and nations.

God bless,

Alex

Why do you insist to use this Polish version of my name knowing well that I'm Ukrainian and I don't wish posters here to use it?

No doubt. BTW: plural form of "Jabłonowski" surname is "Jabłonowscy" (or, in English, just "Jablonowskis" ).

The ONLY REAL DIFFERENCE is that in the US one has a whole legal system able to protect human and civil rights. Administrative acts can be effectively controlled by courts. There is no such control in Ukraine (theoretically it exists, but an ordinary individual cannot seek effective
protection in Ukrainian court ).

Sincerely,
subdeacon Peter

PS. Couldn't you once and for always cease to
"Polonize" me? I am tired of countless reminding you what's my name, which is, BTW, a part of my signature below each post.