SOURCE: durhamregion.com
DURHAM -- The Durham Catholic District School Board will not consider a policy allowing non-Catholics to enroll in its elementary schools after all.
At the March 26 board meeting, trustees approved the first reading of the updated admissions to schools policy. But the policy did not include the portion that would have allowed non-Catholic children to enter into the board's elementary schools.
In February, trustees briefly considered expanding the board's admissions policy to allow Eastern Orthodox pupils into the elementary schools upon the suggestion of Whitby Trustee Chris Leahy. But that was shot down at a subsequent board meeting.
Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge Trustee Kathy LeFort said it was best take the advice of previous presenters Father Brian Clough, Associate of Judicial Vicar at the Archdiocese of Toronto and Dr. Mark McGowan, principal of St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. The experts had told trustees at a prior meeting to choose their battles wisely and said a case-by-case basis would be best for non-Catholics.
"It doesn't mean that we're never going to accept anybody," said Trustee LeFort.
The final admissions policy will go to stakeholders for comment and come back for a final reading in April.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Parents Rally Against Bill 13 at Queen's Park
(Toronto, March 30, 2012) Parents as First Educators spokesman, Teresa Pierre, told a crowd of 2000 outside the Ontario Legislature Building on Thursday afternoon that her members support any anti-bullying bill that adds new tools to fight bullying but that they oppose bill 13 because it mandates an equity curriculum that parents oppose. Parents are particularly concerned about the provision of age-inappropriate material to children of young ages in the sexual education component and elsewhere. "How much more strongly do parents have to say that they want less sexualization of children, not more?" she asked. The crowd of Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, and Hindus responded with enthusiastic cheers.
Onlookers said how much they enjoyed hearing the different faith-perspectives of various groups. The common denominator was concern to protect children against bullying, but with measures that respect their faith traditions. Many groups, including non-Catholic groups, said that Liberal Education Minister Laurel Broten's attempt to override the statements of Catholic bishops opposed to having GSAs in Catholic schools was a kind of thought control no Canadian should support.
Inside Queen's Park MPPs were debating Conservative anti-bullying bill 14. MPP Glen Murray said that the Catholic faith teaches that homosexuals are disordered. Outside speaker Jack Fonseca from Campaign Life Coalition stated that the Church does not condemn or say that individuals are intrinsically disordered by virtue of same-sex attraction. Murray attempted to paint members of ordinary mainstream denominations demonstrating outside as extremists in order to diminish their concerns.
Pierre stated that parents are opposed to bill 13 because it will likely trigger years of costly lawsuits against the province which will ultimately be paid by the taxpayers. In a time of global financial crisis, parents need to pay their bills, and they are not going to tolerate wasting their hard-earned cash when it could be paying for the gas to take their kids to hockey practice. Parents think bill 14 offers new tools to address bullying such as a third-party body to oversee situations in which parents find they are not making headway with their school principals. They do not support bill 13 because "it is a grave violation of our conscience rights, we think it is just a feel-good measure, and we think it will cause social upheaval and add to our own financial distress."
The rally was sponsored by Concerned Catholic Parents of Ontario. Other speakers included TDSB Trustee Allan Tam and several individuals from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths. Several PC MPPs stopped by to listen, including PC MPP John O'Toole, who challenged the application of the term homophobic to demonstrators by MPP Liz Sandals later that afternoon during the Parliamentary debates.
A small group of 20 protestors stood nearby shouting that Catholic parents favor bullying.
MPPs from all parties praised bill 14, speaking of the need to move forward on progress toward an anti-bullying bill. Just before Parliament ended for the day Witmer's bill was referred to the social policy committee. One wonders how quickly Bill 13 will join it there.
Onlookers said how much they enjoyed hearing the different faith-perspectives of various groups. The common denominator was concern to protect children against bullying, but with measures that respect their faith traditions. Many groups, including non-Catholic groups, said that Liberal Education Minister Laurel Broten's attempt to override the statements of Catholic bishops opposed to having GSAs in Catholic schools was a kind of thought control no Canadian should support.Inside Queen's Park MPPs were debating Conservative anti-bullying bill 14. MPP Glen Murray said that the Catholic faith teaches that homosexuals are disordered. Outside speaker Jack Fonseca from Campaign Life Coalition stated that the Church does not condemn or say that individuals are intrinsically disordered by virtue of same-sex attraction. Murray attempted to paint members of ordinary mainstream denominations demonstrating outside as extremists in order to diminish their concerns.
Pierre stated that parents are opposed to bill 13 because it will likely trigger years of costly lawsuits against the province which will ultimately be paid by the taxpayers. In a time of global financial crisis, parents need to pay their bills, and they are not going to tolerate wasting their hard-earned cash when it could be paying for the gas to take their kids to hockey practice. Parents think bill 14 offers new tools to address bullying such as a third-party body to oversee situations in which parents find they are not making headway with their school principals. They do not support bill 13 because "it is a grave violation of our conscience rights, we think it is just a feel-good measure, and we think it will cause social upheaval and add to our own financial distress."
The rally was sponsored by Concerned Catholic Parents of Ontario. Other speakers included TDSB Trustee Allan Tam and several individuals from the Muslim, Sikh and Hindu faiths. Several PC MPPs stopped by to listen, including PC MPP John O'Toole, who challenged the application of the term homophobic to demonstrators by MPP Liz Sandals later that afternoon during the Parliamentary debates.
A small group of 20 protestors stood nearby shouting that Catholic parents favor bullying.
MPPs from all parties praised bill 14, speaking of the need to move forward on progress toward an anti-bullying bill. Just before Parliament ended for the day Witmer's bill was referred to the social policy committee. One wonders how quickly Bill 13 will join it there.
The Meaning of the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
March 28, 2012 SOURCE: OrthodoxNet.com Blog
by Fr. Alexander Men -
Every day of Great Lent, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays, the prayer “O Lord and Master of my life” is read. According to tradition, this prayer was written in Syria in the fourth century by the ascetic Mar Afrem or, as we have grown accustomed to calling him, Ephraim the Syrian. He was a monk, poet, and theologian, one of the most eminent sons of the Syrian Church, who entered world literature as a remarkable writer.
The words of the prayer, which were quite accurately transmitted by Pushkin [1], sound as follows when translated from the Syrian: “O Lord and Master of my life,” that is: Ruler of my life, Who gave me life, Who is the center and focal point of my life. “Give me not a spirit of idleness,” that is, laziness, which is, according to the old adage, the mother of all vices. Laziness seems like an innocent thing, but it engenders much that is dark and black.
“Despondency (Despair).” Christianity is a joyful doctrine; joyful, too, is he who is despondent – for it will leave him. St. Seraphim of Sarov, the great Russian saint of the nineteenth century, said: “We have no ways to be despondent, for Christ has saved everyone.”
“Ambition (Lust for power).” This means love of authority. Everyone has it; do not think that the cult of personality exists only in politics: it can also be present in the family or in any small community. Everyone has in himself the seeds of the aspiration to crush the will of others, to strangle and subdue it.
“Idle talking.” I exempt children: they have the right to chatter, but only until the age of fifteen or sixteen. When children chatter they are learning to communicate and are practicing their language; but when these “children” are already twenty, or sometimes older than forty – this means they are being pitiless towards their own lives. Let us consider (and let us be honest with ourselves): how much longer do we have to live? Not much longer at all. Therefore, I repeat, we should value life and love the gift that God has given us, remembering that we will carry into eternity only that which we have in our hearts. Idle talk and blathering are frightful words, for they involve killing time.
“Spirit of chastity.” Further on the prayer says: “a spirit of chastity… patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.” Chastity is purity of relations with the world and with people, wholeness of soul, without duality, and without the passions gaining possession over you. The wisdom of modesty is extraordinary and beautiful.
“Humble-mindedness (Humility).” This means the wisdom of the healthy person. Humility here, in the given context, means knowing where you stand against the backdrop of eternity. Do not inflate yourself like the frog in Krylov’s fable– it burst [2]. There is no need to exaggerate, but one should know one’s worth. The wisdom of modesty is extraordinary and beautiful. The wisdom of modesty is not abasement beyond pride, but healthiness of soul. Here is an example for you. When someone begins to imagine himself as something that he is not, he is only a few steps from megalomania. Megalomania is a pathological state of pride. One person announces that he is the chairman of the Council of Ministers or Napoleon, and he is placed in a psychiatric hospital; another makes no such pronouncement, for which reason he is not in the hospital, but in his soul he thinks he is superior to everyone else.
Finally, love. Love is the utmost happiness of man; it is the ability of our souls to be open, immanent (as the philosophers say), inwardly open to the other person. When you are riding the escalatory in the subway, test yourself to see if you are able to love or not. When you look at the people riding on the other side and you find it repulsive to look at their faces, it means that all the pores of your soul are clogged and that your feeling of love is in an embryonic state.
But the power of Christ’s grace is capable of rebuilding a person in such a way that he sees people in an entirely different manner; so that his first reaction will be benevolence; so that he will immediately see the beautiful in both women and men, in as inspired manner, even where no one else notices it; so that when seeing a suffering face he will feel compassion; so that he will be open. Such a person is always happy, because he is united with people and lives lovingly.
You ask me: perhaps this is appeasement and compromise with evil? Under no circumstances. Never. We must call evil by its name. But we must have compassion for the person who falls into this sin.
This is the essence of this prayer read daily with prostrations during Great Lent.
From the lecture “Great Lent,” delivered on April 1, 1989. (Translated from Russian.)
Translator’s notes
[1] The poem is “Desert Fathers and Immaculate Women,” written in 1836.
[2] The fable is “The Frog and the Ox,” which originated with Aesop and was adapted by Krylov (among several others fabulists)
by Fr. Alexander Men -
The words of the prayer, which were quite accurately transmitted by Pushkin [1], sound as follows when translated from the Syrian: “O Lord and Master of my life,” that is: Ruler of my life, Who gave me life, Who is the center and focal point of my life. “Give me not a spirit of idleness,” that is, laziness, which is, according to the old adage, the mother of all vices. Laziness seems like an innocent thing, but it engenders much that is dark and black.
Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem (St. Ephraim the Syrian)
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair,
lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
“Ambition (Lust for power).” This means love of authority. Everyone has it; do not think that the cult of personality exists only in politics: it can also be present in the family or in any small community. Everyone has in himself the seeds of the aspiration to crush the will of others, to strangle and subdue it.
“Idle talking.” I exempt children: they have the right to chatter, but only until the age of fifteen or sixteen. When children chatter they are learning to communicate and are practicing their language; but when these “children” are already twenty, or sometimes older than forty – this means they are being pitiless towards their own lives. Let us consider (and let us be honest with ourselves): how much longer do we have to live? Not much longer at all. Therefore, I repeat, we should value life and love the gift that God has given us, remembering that we will carry into eternity only that which we have in our hearts. Idle talk and blathering are frightful words, for they involve killing time.
“Spirit of chastity.” Further on the prayer says: “a spirit of chastity… patience, and love bestow upon me Thy servant.” Chastity is purity of relations with the world and with people, wholeness of soul, without duality, and without the passions gaining possession over you. The wisdom of modesty is extraordinary and beautiful.
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| Click here for Answer key |
patience is a form of courage
“Patience, and love.” What is patience? I will put it briefly so that you will remember. Patience is not the state of cattle, which tolerate everything. It is not humiliation – not at all. It is not a compromise with evil – under no circumstances. Patience is the ability to maintain equanimity of spirit in circumstances that impede such equanimity. Patience is the ability to achieve one’s goals when encountering various obstacles along the way. Patience is the ability to maintain a joyful spirit even when there is an excess of grief. Patience is a victory and an overcoming; patience is a form of courage. This is what real patience is.Finally, love. Love is the utmost happiness of man; it is the ability of our souls to be open, immanent (as the philosophers say), inwardly open to the other person. When you are riding the escalatory in the subway, test yourself to see if you are able to love or not. When you look at the people riding on the other side and you find it repulsive to look at their faces, it means that all the pores of your soul are clogged and that your feeling of love is in an embryonic state.
But the power of Christ’s grace is capable of rebuilding a person in such a way that he sees people in an entirely different manner; so that his first reaction will be benevolence; so that he will immediately see the beautiful in both women and men, in as inspired manner, even where no one else notices it; so that when seeing a suffering face he will feel compassion; so that he will be open. Such a person is always happy, because he is united with people and lives lovingly.
The greatest cure from condemnation is the ability to criticize oneself.
At the end of the prayer it says: “Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my failings and not condemn my brother.” You understand this. The greatest cure from condemnation is the ability to criticize oneself. We are extremely careful – I would say observant and even psychologically sophisticated – when we are considering the sins of our neighbors or the sins of other people. Here we display maximum knowledge of all moral laws in all their subtleties. Here we act like strict judges, although we have no right to do so, since we ourselves are guilty of the very things of which we condemn others.You ask me: perhaps this is appeasement and compromise with evil? Under no circumstances. Never. We must call evil by its name. But we must have compassion for the person who falls into this sin.
This is the essence of this prayer read daily with prostrations during Great Lent.
From the lecture “Great Lent,” delivered on April 1, 1989. (Translated from Russian.)
Translator’s notes
[1] The poem is “Desert Fathers and Immaculate Women,” written in 1836.
[2] The fable is “The Frog and the Ox,” which originated with Aesop and was adapted by Krylov (among several others fabulists)
Tebow: A Christ-bearer in word
SOURCE: Catholic News Agency CNA
Shortly after 12 p.m. on March 26th, Tim Tebow met the New York City press. Next to the city of Philadelphia, they are probably the most brutal in the country. Certainly, any sports celebrity in the Big Apple has to have thick skin.
But Tim Tebow, the young aspirant to the starting quarterback position for the New York Jets, has more than just thick skin- he has a big heart! A big heart for God!
A reporter from the Times questioned Tim Tebow about his faith and why he didn’t address the “hot-button social issues discussed by religious and political leaders.” In response, Tebow said, "We're at a press conference for the football team, so it's not exactly the platform to give and share everything you believe." But even when Tebow is not particularly ready to share his faith in Christ, he is ready to share his faith. He is always willing to talk about Our Lord; even in those venues where religious beliefs are rarely voiced. Tebow, undaunted by the question, went on to say this:
"But I have no problems ever sharing what I believe. I'm a Christian. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. And that is first and foremost the most important thing in my life. For me it is about having a relationship with Christ. That's pretty much it. That is the basis of what I believe, and it is exciting for me to get opportunities to share that. But at the same time this is a press conference for the New York Jets football team, so I feel like it is an opportunity to answer questions about my opportunity to be here as a Jet. I'm excited about that. Any time you get an opportunity I am always going to talk about Jesus Christ and what he has done in my life. But I'm also here to talk about the Jets."
This is admirable. He is the new kid on the block and is surrounded by NY press that is mostly unfriendly to the Christian cause. Nevertheless, Tim Tebow shares his faith in Christ. He is a follower of Christ when the camera is off and when it is on. In today’s world, it can be a challenge to be at ease with your faith when society tells you that faith is a private matter. I think Tebow is trying to challenge that assumption. Our faith in Christ is not just a private matter; it also demands a public expression.
Usually personality traits and temperaments determine how open a Christian is about drawing attention to his or her faith. If you happen to be outgoing and are not bothered by attracting notice to yourself, then you, as a Christian, can be that much more open about your love for Jesus Christ. By no means is an introverted Christian obligated to speak us much or as loudly about their faith as one who is extroverted. However, every Christian is called to bear witness to Christ in accordance with the ability God has given him. And to be worthy Christ-bearers we must be willing to use both words and deeds.
In recent years the following quote from St. Francis of Assisi as enjoyed currency among Christians: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This was spoken in medieval times when culture was visibly Catholic. As such, there was predominant tendency at the time to talk the talk but not walk the talk. In other words, religious discourse was in vogue but the virtue of charity to back it up was wanting. In the twenty-first century, we tend to do the opposite. We stress the deeds but not the words. And to be sure, many of us refer to the quote from St. Francis in order to relieve ourselves of the obligation to talk about Christ. But talk about Christ, we must; especially when American culture is becoming more secularized and religious expression more suppressed.
Talking openly about Christ by Catholics can sometimes be particularly uncomfortable. After all, the Catholic religion is very structured and pre-planned. Travel anywhere in the world and you will find that Mass is essentially the same. Worship, in other words, is already familiar, predictable and prepared. As such, we can participate in the Mass anywhere in the world. This, no doubt, is a great blessing! But the weakness to any structured system is that it can become impersonal and a matter of routine. We Catholics are conscious that we belong to a universal, two-thousand year old Church. Our tradition and heritage is rich and varied. The need to make our Church bigger doesn’t press upon us in the same way it does for other Christians.
With the exception of Mega-churches, many Protestant churches are much smaller in size. Protestant Christians see themselves as a small church that is often unconnected, in any formal way, to Christianity at large. Indeed, many are ever mindful that their churches need expanding. There is always room for one more Christian. With this awareness, missionary zeal is more intensely felt and the need to express that zeal in words is equally felt.
I, as a Catholic, know that Tim Tebow’s willingness to talk openly about Christ is native to the Catholic Faith. The Apostles did it. The Church Fathers did it. The Martyrs did it. The Saints did it. This is why I like Tim Tebow. What he is doing in and out of season, sharing his faith and his love for Christ, is a Catholic thing! We have a rich tradition of men and women who not only did it but paid the price for it. As such, we can learn a thing or two from Tim Tebow.
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
Shortly after 12 p.m. on March 26th, Tim Tebow met the New York City press. Next to the city of Philadelphia, they are probably the most brutal in the country. Certainly, any sports celebrity in the Big Apple has to have thick skin.
A reporter from the Times questioned Tim Tebow about his faith and why he didn’t address the “hot-button social issues discussed by religious and political leaders.” In response, Tebow said, "We're at a press conference for the football team, so it's not exactly the platform to give and share everything you believe." But even when Tebow is not particularly ready to share his faith in Christ, he is ready to share his faith. He is always willing to talk about Our Lord; even in those venues where religious beliefs are rarely voiced. Tebow, undaunted by the question, went on to say this:
"But I have no problems ever sharing what I believe. I'm a Christian. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. And that is first and foremost the most important thing in my life. For me it is about having a relationship with Christ. That's pretty much it. That is the basis of what I believe, and it is exciting for me to get opportunities to share that. But at the same time this is a press conference for the New York Jets football team, so I feel like it is an opportunity to answer questions about my opportunity to be here as a Jet. I'm excited about that. Any time you get an opportunity I am always going to talk about Jesus Christ and what he has done in my life. But I'm also here to talk about the Jets."
This is admirable. He is the new kid on the block and is surrounded by NY press that is mostly unfriendly to the Christian cause. Nevertheless, Tim Tebow shares his faith in Christ. He is a follower of Christ when the camera is off and when it is on. In today’s world, it can be a challenge to be at ease with your faith when society tells you that faith is a private matter. I think Tebow is trying to challenge that assumption. Our faith in Christ is not just a private matter; it also demands a public expression.
Usually personality traits and temperaments determine how open a Christian is about drawing attention to his or her faith. If you happen to be outgoing and are not bothered by attracting notice to yourself, then you, as a Christian, can be that much more open about your love for Jesus Christ. By no means is an introverted Christian obligated to speak us much or as loudly about their faith as one who is extroverted. However, every Christian is called to bear witness to Christ in accordance with the ability God has given him. And to be worthy Christ-bearers we must be willing to use both words and deeds.
In recent years the following quote from St. Francis of Assisi as enjoyed currency among Christians: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This was spoken in medieval times when culture was visibly Catholic. As such, there was predominant tendency at the time to talk the talk but not walk the talk. In other words, religious discourse was in vogue but the virtue of charity to back it up was wanting. In the twenty-first century, we tend to do the opposite. We stress the deeds but not the words. And to be sure, many of us refer to the quote from St. Francis in order to relieve ourselves of the obligation to talk about Christ. But talk about Christ, we must; especially when American culture is becoming more secularized and religious expression more suppressed.
Talking openly about Christ by Catholics can sometimes be particularly uncomfortable. After all, the Catholic religion is very structured and pre-planned. Travel anywhere in the world and you will find that Mass is essentially the same. Worship, in other words, is already familiar, predictable and prepared. As such, we can participate in the Mass anywhere in the world. This, no doubt, is a great blessing! But the weakness to any structured system is that it can become impersonal and a matter of routine. We Catholics are conscious that we belong to a universal, two-thousand year old Church. Our tradition and heritage is rich and varied. The need to make our Church bigger doesn’t press upon us in the same way it does for other Christians.
With the exception of Mega-churches, many Protestant churches are much smaller in size. Protestant Christians see themselves as a small church that is often unconnected, in any formal way, to Christianity at large. Indeed, many are ever mindful that their churches need expanding. There is always room for one more Christian. With this awareness, missionary zeal is more intensely felt and the need to express that zeal in words is equally felt.
I, as a Catholic, know that Tim Tebow’s willingness to talk openly about Christ is native to the Catholic Faith. The Apostles did it. The Church Fathers did it. The Martyrs did it. The Saints did it. This is why I like Tim Tebow. What he is doing in and out of season, sharing his faith and his love for Christ, is a Catholic thing! We have a rich tradition of men and women who not only did it but paid the price for it. As such, we can learn a thing or two from Tim Tebow.
“And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Colossians 3:17)
Joe Tremblay writes for Sky View, a current event and topic-driven Catholic blog. He is currently a contributor to The Edmund Burke Institute, and a frequent guest on Relevant Radio’s, The Drew Mariani Show. Joe is also married with five children.
Vatican confirms condemnation of breakaway Ukrainian clergy
Vatican City, Mar 29, 2012 / 06:00 pm (SOURCE: CNA/EWTN News).- The Vatican's doctrinal office has confirmed the excommunication of four priests expelled from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who asserted themselves as rivals to its bishops.
“These priests continue to challenge ecclesiastical authority, causing moral and spiritual damage, not only to the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat and the Greek-Catholic Ukrainian Church, but also to this Apostolic See and the Catholic Church as a whole,” the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said March 29.
“All this provokes division and bewilderment among the faithful,” the Vatican's highest doctrinal office observed. The comments were made in a March 29 notification intended “to inform the faithful, especially in the countries of origin of the so-called 'bishops,' about their current canonical status.”
“This Congregation … formally declares that it does not recognize the validity of their episcopal ordinations, or of any and all ordinations that have derived, or will derive therefrom. Moreover, the canonical status of the four so-called 'bishops' is that of excommunication.”
Fr. Elias Dohnal, Fr. Markian Hitiuk, Fr. Metodej Spirik, and Fr. Robert Oberhauser are ex-members of the Basilian Order, a society of priests within the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Ukraine's Eastern Catholics make up one of the largest eastern churches in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2008, the four priests were declared excommunicated by the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which follows its own procedures of canon law. They claimed to have been ordained as bishops, in rites that Ukraine's Eastern Catholic hierarchy regarded as both illegitimate and invalid.
According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the priests insisted on the validity of their ordinations, and sought to be recognized by state authorities as leaders of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church.”
“The Holy See, concerned to protect the unity and peace of Christ's flock, had hoped in the repentance and subsequent return of the aforementioned priests to full communion with the Catholic Church,” the doctrinal congregation's head Cardinal William J. Levada and secretary Archbishop Luis Ferrer said.
“Unfortunately the most recent developments - such as the unsuccessful attempt to acquire State registration … demonstrate their continuing disobedience.”
Catholics are instructed “not to adhere to the aforementioned group as, to all canonical effects, it is outside ecclesiastical communion. The faithful are invited to pray for the members of the group, that they may repent and return to full communion with the Catholic Church.”
“Furthermore, the use of the name 'Catholic' by groups which are not recognized by the competent ecclesiastical authority is to be considered as illegitimate,” the prefect and secretary noted.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
“All this provokes division and bewilderment among the faithful,” the Vatican's highest doctrinal office observed. The comments were made in a March 29 notification intended “to inform the faithful, especially in the countries of origin of the so-called 'bishops,' about their current canonical status.”
“This Congregation … formally declares that it does not recognize the validity of their episcopal ordinations, or of any and all ordinations that have derived, or will derive therefrom. Moreover, the canonical status of the four so-called 'bishops' is that of excommunication.”
Fr. Elias Dohnal, Fr. Markian Hitiuk, Fr. Metodej Spirik, and Fr. Robert Oberhauser are ex-members of the Basilian Order, a society of priests within the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Ukraine's Eastern Catholics make up one of the largest eastern churches in communion with the Roman Catholic Church.
In 2008, the four priests were declared excommunicated by the Ukrainian Catholic Church, which follows its own procedures of canon law. They claimed to have been ordained as bishops, in rites that Ukraine's Eastern Catholic hierarchy regarded as both illegitimate and invalid.
According to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the priests insisted on the validity of their ordinations, and sought to be recognized by state authorities as leaders of the “Ukrainian Orthodox Greek-Catholic Church.”
“The Holy See, concerned to protect the unity and peace of Christ's flock, had hoped in the repentance and subsequent return of the aforementioned priests to full communion with the Catholic Church,” the doctrinal congregation's head Cardinal William J. Levada and secretary Archbishop Luis Ferrer said.
“Unfortunately the most recent developments - such as the unsuccessful attempt to acquire State registration … demonstrate their continuing disobedience.”
Catholics are instructed “not to adhere to the aforementioned group as, to all canonical effects, it is outside ecclesiastical communion. The faithful are invited to pray for the members of the group, that they may repent and return to full communion with the Catholic Church.”
“Furthermore, the use of the name 'Catholic' by groups which are not recognized by the competent ecclesiastical authority is to be considered as illegitimate,” the prefect and secretary noted.
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Прес-конференція з нагоди оприлюднення Заяви Конгрегації у справах віровчення
«Вони використовують назву українська греко-католицька правовірна церква. Такої назви немає взагалі і вони з Католицькою Церквою не мають нічого спільного, не тільки з Українською Греко Католицькою Церквою, також з Латинською Церквою, бо вони поставлені поза Церкву» - сказав Високопреосвященний Архиєпископ і Митрополит Львівський владика Ігор під час прес-конференції з нагоди оприлюднення Заяви Конгрегації у справах віровчення Апостольського Престолу про канонічний статус «самозваних підгорецьких греко-католицьких єпископів». «Також цей декрет - додав Високопреосвященний Митрополит Львівський - закликає вірних не приєднуватись до цієї групи, оскільки вона зі всіма канонічними наслідками є поза церковним сопричастям. Це є окрема група, яка собі утворилася і діє собі на свій спосіб і подобу» - сказав владика Ігор про діяльність групи «підгорецьких отців». У прес-конференції взяли участь: Високопреосвященний Владика Ігор (Возьняк) Архиєпископ і Митрополит Львівський УГКЦ;Преосвященний Владика Венедикт (Алексійчук) Єпископ-помічник Львівської архиєпархії УГКЦ;Преосвященний Владика Михаїл (Колтун) Єпарх Сокальсько-Жовківський УГКЦ;Отець Орест Вільчинський керівник інформаційного проекту «Католицький Оглядач»;Отець Сергій Ковальчук, канцлер Львівської архиєпархії УГКЦ;«Рівень цієї заяви є найвищий - наголосив о. Сергій Ковальчук, канцлер Львівської архиєпархії. Цією заявою Римський Апостольський престіл ще раз підтвердив свою чітку позицію, що ця група намагається отримати у компетентної української цивільної влади своє визнання, при цьому використовуючи назву католицька. Саме проти цього виступає Конгрегація у справах віри Апостольського Престолу, яка вказує що назву католицька не можна використовувати. Друга річ, яка є дуже важливою, що свячення даних осіб є не правосильними – додав канцлер Львівської Архиєпархії, тобто їх немає взагалі. Конгрегація знову ж заявляє, що ці особи не мають єпископських свячень. Таким чином усі так звані священичі свячення, які вони надають іншим так званим священикам є не правосильними, тобто ці особи це є перебрані особи в священичі ризи, які вводять в оману наших вірних, тобто греко-католиків – закінчив своє слово о. Сергій Ковальчук. «Те що ми маємо цю заяву Конгрегації у справах віровчення є дуже важливим, щоб ми усвідомили, що це обман, це є неправда. Ми, як Церква вболіваємо і молимося за тих людей, які обманом туди потрапили. Наше завдання як Церкви є свідчити про цю правду, правду віри через яку ми приходимо до Господа» - завершив представлення цього документу Преосвященний владика Венедикт, Єпископ-помічник Львівської Архиєпархії УГКЦ. | |
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Turkey: Reopening of Greek Orthodox Seminary back on agenda
27 March 2012 / Source: TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA
Turkey has decided to reopen a former Greek Orthodox seminary on an island off the coast of İstanbul, according to a statement made by US President Barack Obama.
The EU and the US have frequently criticized Turkey for not reopening the Halki Greek Orthodox seminary -- which experts say is related to Turkey's interpretation of secularism -- and failing to take measures to protect the patriarchate's property rights. The patriarchate is under the protection of international law, as outlined in the Treaty of Lausanne. The patriarch has long complained about the status of the seminary, located on the island of Heybeliada near İstanbul, as well as other property issues. The government says it has been assessing a number of legal options to reopen the Halki seminary, which Bartholomew says is of vital importance for the survival of the Greek Orthodox clergy.
“I expressed my congratulations to the prime minister [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] for his efforts to protect the rights of religious minorities. I am very pleased to hear his decision to reopen the Halki Seminary on Heybeliada,” Obama stated following a private talk with Erdoğan on Sunday morning.
The two leaders have held wide-ranging talks covering Syria, Iran, the fight against terrorism and the protection of minorities on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul.
On Monday, Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bağış also claimed that opening the seminary is an important issue in terms of minority rights in Turkey. Bağış also criticized Greece for not taking similar steps to protect the rights of its Turkish Muslim population.
“The opening of the seminary is not a threat for Turkey. It would, on the contrary, be an asset … While taking these steps, Turkey stressed the importance of concurrent initiatives by Greek authorities in terms extending religious rights of the Muslim population in Greece. Greece should be aware of its democratic responsibilities as an EU member country,” Bağış stated.
Turkish minorities have major problems in Greece, such as the right to receive education and the right to elect a religious leader (mufti) for the Turkish community.
During a meeting with former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on March 22 in İstanbul, Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew praised Turkish plans to reopen the seminary, according to media reports.
“We [the Turkish Orthodox community] can be hopeful for the reopening of the seminary in the near future,” stated Bartholomew.
Turkey was listed in a 2012 US report on religious freedoms as being among the world's worst violators of religious freedoms. The report, which was prepared by the bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), caused widespread outrage among Turkish politicians.
Turkey has decided to reopen a former Greek Orthodox seminary on an island off the coast of İstanbul, according to a statement made by US President Barack Obama.
“I expressed my congratulations to the prime minister [Recep Tayyip Erdoğan] for his efforts to protect the rights of religious minorities. I am very pleased to hear his decision to reopen the Halki Seminary on Heybeliada,” Obama stated following a private talk with Erdoğan on Sunday morning.
The two leaders have held wide-ranging talks covering Syria, Iran, the fight against terrorism and the protection of minorities on the eve of the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul.
On Monday, Minister for EU Affairs Egemen Bağış also claimed that opening the seminary is an important issue in terms of minority rights in Turkey. Bağış also criticized Greece for not taking similar steps to protect the rights of its Turkish Muslim population.
“The opening of the seminary is not a threat for Turkey. It would, on the contrary, be an asset … While taking these steps, Turkey stressed the importance of concurrent initiatives by Greek authorities in terms extending religious rights of the Muslim population in Greece. Greece should be aware of its democratic responsibilities as an EU member country,” Bağış stated.
Turkish minorities have major problems in Greece, such as the right to receive education and the right to elect a religious leader (mufti) for the Turkish community.
During a meeting with former Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on March 22 in İstanbul, Greek Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew praised Turkish plans to reopen the seminary, according to media reports.
“We [the Turkish Orthodox community] can be hopeful for the reopening of the seminary in the near future,” stated Bartholomew.
Turkey was listed in a 2012 US report on religious freedoms as being among the world's worst violators of religious freedoms. The report, which was prepared by the bipartisan US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), caused widespread outrage among Turkish politicians.
Press Conferences - Patriarch Sviatoslav on Abortion, the next Synod and Youth
AUDIO only: Patriarch Sviatoslav speaks about the upcoming episcopal synod which will be help in Canada in September; questions on the Church's position on abortion are answered. (in Ukrainian) Click on photo to hear conference.
UGCC To Study Experience of Canadian Lay Organizations During Its Synod
SOURCE: RISU Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) stated at a press-conference at UNIAN that the next Synod of UGCC will be held on 9-15 September in Canada and its main theme will be the Calling of Layman.
According to the hierarch, the bishops chose Canada as the country to hold the next synod in not accidentally. This year, the Greek Catholics mark the one hundred’s anniversary of the arrival of the 1st bishop of UGCC, Mykyta Budka in that country, and the fruitful activity of lay organization in Canada can be a good example to be followed by the whole UGCC.
“Our Church has declared 2012 to be the year of the layman. UGCC always encouraged our faithful to be active in the social, cultural and national life. The Church communities always were the centers where various organizations, institutions of what is now called the civil society were formed. And in Canada, we have today a lot of traditional, I would say, our ancient lay organizations which once became the foundation for the formation of our community in Canada,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.
“In September, the Ukrainians of Canada will receive our Synod, and, on the other hand, it is their civil structures that will become a model of how the civil movement can be spread and activity of lay people can be stimulated ,” added the patriarch.
Patriarch Sviatoslav: Local Authorities Ignore Legal Rights of Greek Catholics
SOURCE: RISU At a press conference at UNIAN today, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) said that the state leadership puts no pressure on the UGCC, but the authorities in Ukraine do not observe the principle of equal treatment of all the denominations, especially at the local level.
“For instance, for some reason, they cancelled the traditional prayer for Ukraine in the St. Sophia Cathedral, which was attended by the heads of all the churches. It was not an ordinary prayer, it was a sign of equal respect for all the churches,” stated the patriarch.
Patriarch Sviatoslav noted that at the local, regional level, representatives of the authorities show a favorable attitude only toward one denomination. At the same time, the officials deliberately ignore all the legal rights of the Greek Catholics.
“Let me give a vivid example about Odesa. Our Odesa-Crimean Exarchate for many years has asked to allocate a land plot for the construction of a church in the regional center. However, there is no result so far. I also receive various addresses from priests from other cities, particularly from the central, south and eastern Ukraine where our communities are. It is impossible to realize there one’s legal, constitutional right to have the possibility to pray freely,” he said.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics expressed hope that the situation will change with time. He drew optimism from the recent assurance of President Viktor Yanukovych at the meeting with the heads of the Ukrainian churches and religious organizations where the president stated that he would personally monitor the observance of equal treatment to all the denominations.
“The leaders of the AUCCRO and I raised the question of the equal treatment last year, at the meeting with the president. We raise this question all the time. During the last meeting it was not ventilated only because the president himself said that he would try to treat everyone equally. We have submitted to the president a list of questions to be settled. Let me tell you also that in comparison to the list submitted by us last year, it is almost identical. This means that no progress was made during the year. Perhaps, the church dialogue is only beginning,” stressed Patriarch Sviatoslav.
Фото ТСН
VIDEO: Patriarch Sviatoslav meets w/ youth in Ternopil (in Ukrainian)
UGCC To Study Experience of Canadian Lay Organizations During Its Synod
SOURCE: RISU Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) stated at a press-conference at UNIAN that the next Synod of UGCC will be held on 9-15 September in Canada and its main theme will be the Calling of Layman.
According to the hierarch, the bishops chose Canada as the country to hold the next synod in not accidentally. This year, the Greek Catholics mark the one hundred’s anniversary of the arrival of the 1st bishop of UGCC, Mykyta Budka in that country, and the fruitful activity of lay organization in Canada can be a good example to be followed by the whole UGCC.
“Our Church has declared 2012 to be the year of the layman. UGCC always encouraged our faithful to be active in the social, cultural and national life. The Church communities always were the centers where various organizations, institutions of what is now called the civil society were formed. And in Canada, we have today a lot of traditional, I would say, our ancient lay organizations which once became the foundation for the formation of our community in Canada,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.
“In September, the Ukrainians of Canada will receive our Synod, and, on the other hand, it is their civil structures that will become a model of how the civil movement can be spread and activity of lay people can be stimulated ,” added the patriarch.
Patriarch Sviatoslav: Local Authorities Ignore Legal Rights of Greek Catholics
SOURCE: RISU At a press conference at UNIAN today, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) said that the state leadership puts no pressure on the UGCC, but the authorities in Ukraine do not observe the principle of equal treatment of all the denominations, especially at the local level.
“For instance, for some reason, they cancelled the traditional prayer for Ukraine in the St. Sophia Cathedral, which was attended by the heads of all the churches. It was not an ordinary prayer, it was a sign of equal respect for all the churches,” stated the patriarch.
Patriarch Sviatoslav noted that at the local, regional level, representatives of the authorities show a favorable attitude only toward one denomination. At the same time, the officials deliberately ignore all the legal rights of the Greek Catholics.
“Let me give a vivid example about Odesa. Our Odesa-Crimean Exarchate for many years has asked to allocate a land plot for the construction of a church in the regional center. However, there is no result so far. I also receive various addresses from priests from other cities, particularly from the central, south and eastern Ukraine where our communities are. It is impossible to realize there one’s legal, constitutional right to have the possibility to pray freely,” he said.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics expressed hope that the situation will change with time. He drew optimism from the recent assurance of President Viktor Yanukovych at the meeting with the heads of the Ukrainian churches and religious organizations where the president stated that he would personally monitor the observance of equal treatment to all the denominations.
“The leaders of the AUCCRO and I raised the question of the equal treatment last year, at the meeting with the president. We raise this question all the time. During the last meeting it was not ventilated only because the president himself said that he would try to treat everyone equally. We have submitted to the president a list of questions to be settled. Let me tell you also that in comparison to the list submitted by us last year, it is almost identical. This means that no progress was made during the year. Perhaps, the church dialogue is only beginning,” stressed Patriarch Sviatoslav.
Владика Святослав їздить на старому авто і носить годинник українського виробника
Новообраний Глава УГКЦ Владика Святослав носить на руці годинник вітчизняного виробництва вартістю 1008 гривень.
Про це журналістам вдалося дізнатися під час першої прес-конференції нового Глави Української греко-католицької церкви, повідомляє ТСН.
Блаженнійший Святослав приїхав поспілкуватися з журналістами на автомобілі Volkswagen Sharan моделі 1995 року, який належить колишньому Голові українських греко-католиків Любомиру Гузару.
Дана модель автомобіля знята з виробництва. Орієнтовна ціна ж автівки, якою наразі користується новий Глава УГКЦ складає 12-14 тисяч доларів.
Ідентифікувати годинник журналістам було зовсім нескладно. На зап'ястку Владика Святослав носить годинник української фірми Kleynod.
На офіційному сайті фірми сказано, що модель "K 109-520" має механізм кварцевий Ronda 705 матеріал корпусу сталевий, скло мінеральне, ремінець шкіряний.
Коштує такий годинник 1008 гривень, а якщо ви учасник клубу - 957 гривень. Якщо перевести в європейську валюту, то по нинішньому курсу НБУ це складає приблизно 90 євро.
Як відомо, Московський патріарх Кирило носить на зап'ясті годинник фірми Breguet, вартість якого складає понад 30 тисяч євро.
Свого часу клієнтами компанії були відомі персони: королева Марія-Антуанета, Наполеон Бонапарт, Принц Уельський, цар Олександр I, цариця Олександра Федорівна, сер Уїнстон Черчілль.
Також варто зазначити, що вартість автомобіля Cadillac Escalade яким наразі пересувається очільник РПЦ складає близько 1 мільйона гривень.
Патріарх Київський і всієї Руси-України Філарет та митрополит УПЦ Московського патріархату Володимир їздять на Мерседесах S -класу вартістю 145-200 тисяч євро.
Фото ТСН
VIDEO: Patriarch Sviatoslav meets w/ youth in Ternopil (in Ukrainian)
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Dawkins calls for mockery of Catholics at 'Reason Rally'
Washington D.C., Mar 27, 2012 / 02:14 am (SOURCE: CNA).- At the March 24 “Reason Rally” in Washington, D.C., an estimated 20,000 atheists and agnostics heard author and activist Richard Dawkins encourage mockery of Catholic beliefs and those of other religions.
“Don't fall for the convention that we're all 'too polite' to talk about religion,” Dawkins said, before urging rally attendees to ridicule Catholics' faith in the Eucharist.
“Religion makes specific claims about the universe which need to be substantiated, and need to be challenged – and if necessary, need to be ridiculed with contempt,” he told the cheering crowd on the National Mall.
“For example, if they say they're Catholic: Do you really believe, that when a priest blesses a wafer, it turns into the body of Christ? Are you seriously telling me you believe that? Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?”
If the answer is yes, Dawkins suggested atheists should show contempt for believers instead of ignoring the issue or feigning respect.
“Mock them,” he told the crowd. “Ridicule them! In public!”
The former Oxford professor and author of “The God Delusion” was among the headliners of Saturday's rally, which also featured comedian Eddie Izzard, punk rock group Bad Religion, and magician James Randi.
Dawkins called for atheists to identify themselves in public, for the sake of a more openly secular society.
He also claimed that many self-identified Christians are only nominal adherents of their religion, and should be given a chance to disavow beliefs that they may not hold.
“When you meet somebody who claims to be religious, ask them what they really believe,” Dawkins suggested.
“If you meet somebody who says he's Catholic, for example, say: 'What do you mean? Do you just mean you were baptized Catholic, because I'm not impressed by that.'”
But those who hold to the doctrines of their faith should be openly ridiculed, Dawkins said.
“I don't despise religious people; I despise what they stand for,” he explained.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the former professor praised the “truth” and “beauty” of Darwinian evolution, and the ability of the “incredible process” to produce life with the “illusion of design.”
“How is it conceivable,” he wondered, “that the laws of physics should conspire together – without guidance, without direction, without any intelligence – to bring us into the world?”
It was “almost too good to be true,” he rhapsodized, that this “mechanical, automatic, unplanned, unconscious process” should produce human intelligence.
“That's not just true, it's beautiful,” he declared to cheers from the crowd of agnostics and atheists.
“It's beautiful because it's true,” said Dawkins. “And it's almost too good to be true.”
“Religion makes specific claims about the universe which need to be substantiated, and need to be challenged – and if necessary, need to be ridiculed with contempt,” he told the cheering crowd on the National Mall.
“For example, if they say they're Catholic: Do you really believe, that when a priest blesses a wafer, it turns into the body of Christ? Are you seriously telling me you believe that? Are you seriously saying that wine turns into blood?”
If the answer is yes, Dawkins suggested atheists should show contempt for believers instead of ignoring the issue or feigning respect.
“Mock them,” he told the crowd. “Ridicule them! In public!”
The former Oxford professor and author of “The God Delusion” was among the headliners of Saturday's rally, which also featured comedian Eddie Izzard, punk rock group Bad Religion, and magician James Randi.
Dawkins called for atheists to identify themselves in public, for the sake of a more openly secular society.
He also claimed that many self-identified Christians are only nominal adherents of their religion, and should be given a chance to disavow beliefs that they may not hold.
“When you meet somebody who claims to be religious, ask them what they really believe,” Dawkins suggested.
“If you meet somebody who says he's Catholic, for example, say: 'What do you mean? Do you just mean you were baptized Catholic, because I'm not impressed by that.'”
But those who hold to the doctrines of their faith should be openly ridiculed, Dawkins said.
“I don't despise religious people; I despise what they stand for,” he explained.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the former professor praised the “truth” and “beauty” of Darwinian evolution, and the ability of the “incredible process” to produce life with the “illusion of design.”
“How is it conceivable,” he wondered, “that the laws of physics should conspire together – without guidance, without direction, without any intelligence – to bring us into the world?”
It was “almost too good to be true,” he rhapsodized, that this “mechanical, automatic, unplanned, unconscious process” should produce human intelligence.
“That's not just true, it's beautiful,” he declared to cheers from the crowd of agnostics and atheists.
“It's beautiful because it's true,” said Dawkins. “And it's almost too good to be true.”
Vatican Approves Texts for ‘Blessing of a Child in the Womb’
March 26, 2012
SOURCE: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
WASHINGTON—The Vatican has approved the publication of the "Rite for the Blessing of a Child in the Womb," which will be printed in English and Spanish in a combined booklet and should be available for parishes by Mothers' Day. The U.S. bishops who collaborated on the development of the blessing welcomed the announcement of the recognitio, or approval, by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in Rome.
"I'm impressed with the beauty of this blessing for human life in the womb," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). "I can think of no better day to announce this news than on the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary's 'yes' to God and the incarnation of that child in her the womb that saved the world."
"We wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible so that parishes might begin to look at how this blessing might be woven into the fabric of parish life," said Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship. "Eventually the new blessing will be included in the Book of Blessings when that text is revised."
The blessing was prepared to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It can be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass.
The blessing originated when then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee (now archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky) asked the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to see if a blessing existed for a child in the womb. When none was found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it to the USCCB's Divine Worship committee in March of 2008. It was approved by the full body of bishops in November 2008, and then sent to Rome for editing and final approval.
SOURCE: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
"I'm impressed with the beauty of this blessing for human life in the womb," said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). "I can think of no better day to announce this news than on the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary's 'yes' to God and the incarnation of that child in her the womb that saved the world."
"We wanted to make this announcement as soon as possible so that parishes might begin to look at how this blessing might be woven into the fabric of parish life," said Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Divine Worship. "Eventually the new blessing will be included in the Book of Blessings when that text is revised."
The blessing was prepared to support parents awaiting the birth of their child, to encourage parish prayers for and recognition of the precious gift of the child in the womb, and to foster respect for human life within society. It can be offered within the context of the Mass as well as outside of Mass.
The blessing originated when then-Bishop Joseph Kurtz of Knoxville, Tennessee (now archbishop of Louisville, Kentucky) asked the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities to see if a blessing existed for a child in the womb. When none was found, the committee prepared a text and submitted it to the USCCB's Divine Worship committee in March of 2008. It was approved by the full body of bishops in November 2008, and then sent to Rome for editing and final approval.
Greek Catholics spark a debate over abortions
SOURCE: Kyiv Post Olena Abramovych
Out of the blue (????), the Greek Catholic Church sparked an abortion debate in Ukraine after a recent talk of its leader to students in western Ukraine. An ultra-right member of parliament was quick on his feet to register a draft law banning abortions, while doctors, women's organizations and other pro-choice groups warned that the move would be disastrous for Ukraine.
Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics, in a speech earlier this month said “over 20 years of independent Ukraine we have knowingly and willingly killed 40 million children.’’ He went on to say that those children who were born are “the ones who accidentally avoided the lethal hand of their parents.’’ He said his church will address the government to consider banning abortions altogether.
Shevchuk was immediately criticized for distorting statistics to make a point. Official Ministry of Health data show that the true number of abortions is about eight times lower than the Greek Catholic bishop suggested, and going down. According to the Ministry, the number of abortions in 1991 stood at around 1 million, while in 2011 the number went down to 156,000.
The church argues that official figures fail to count the abortions that end at the earliest stages of pregnancy with pills. It also said unregistered abortions are also common. The Health Ministry shot back, saying their numbers are accurate, with those happening with the abortion pill counted in, as well as all illegal abortions discovered by the police.
But that did not persuade Andriy Shkil, a right-wing member of parliament who registered a bill to ban abortions on March 12. His draft suggests that abortions should only be allowed as an exception in special medical circumstances, in case of death of the child's father, if the family has a history of disability or in case of teenage pregnancies under 16. Shkil says that having an abortion costs less than visiting a dentist in Ukraine, and it's just as easy. "We need to stop the situation when doctors kill children using public funds," he told the Kyiv Post.
Dozens of women's organizations came out with a public appeal against the move. "None of us women endorse artificial interruption of a life,” they wrote. “But it does not mean that women should be denied the right to make choices and decide about their bodies and their destiny."
Galina Maystruk, a gynecologist and head of the Foundation of Women's Health and Family Planning, said that in neighboring Poland, an abortion ban did not increase birthrates. Instead, Polish women now go to Germany or France for an abortion, while less affluent families often opt for Lviv in Ukraine.
But most Ukrainian women don't have the option of going abroad.
“The black market will be running. Providers of these services will be people who have no relation to medicine and the cost for the medical sector will be huge,” warns Maystruk. Instead of relatively cheap abortions, the health-care system will have to pick up the costs that could include expensive surgeries and rehabilitation.
“The consequences can be terrible – we have the experience of the Stalin times, particularly from 1946 to 1955, when thousands of women in Ukraine were dying during [illegal] abortions. Today, women are not dying from abortion,” Maystruk says.
Shkil says that the high mortality rate in the Stalin years was caused by a complete ban on abortions, even for medical reasons. He believes that his law leaves enough room to avoid that.
But Vyacheslav Kaminsky, the chief gynecologist at the Health Ministry, says he is against ban abortions nevertheless. "Instantly some criminal proposals will arise, therefore they will do it on the streets," Kaminsky says. He said Ukraine’s current legislation on abortion is in line with European requirements.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2008 called for legalization of abortions, arguing that “the ban on abortions does not result in fewer abortions, but mainly leads to clandestine abortions, which are more traumatic and cause the increasing of maternal mortality or development of ‘abortion tourism,’ which is costly, postpone the time of abortion and leads to social inequality. The legality of abortion has no impact on the needs of women in abortion, but only on her access to safe abortion."
Both supporters and opponents of the ban agree that abortions have severe social consequences. According to Kaminsky, the reason for 80 percent of abortions is poverty in the family. Representatives of the church and women's organizations say that the state needs to address the problem by creating conditions where giving birth to a child is less financially burdensome.
Also, Maystruk says that a major campaign on contraception is needed. “Ukraine has a big problem with the use of contraception, especially in rural areas and among people with financial constraints,” she says.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Abramovych can be reached at abramovych@kyivpost.com.
Out of the blue (????), the Greek Catholic Church sparked an abortion debate in Ukraine after a recent talk of its leader to students in western Ukraine. An ultra-right member of parliament was quick on his feet to register a draft law banning abortions, while doctors, women's organizations and other pro-choice groups warned that the move would be disastrous for Ukraine.
Shevchuk was immediately criticized for distorting statistics to make a point. Official Ministry of Health data show that the true number of abortions is about eight times lower than the Greek Catholic bishop suggested, and going down. According to the Ministry, the number of abortions in 1991 stood at around 1 million, while in 2011 the number went down to 156,000.
The church argues that official figures fail to count the abortions that end at the earliest stages of pregnancy with pills. It also said unregistered abortions are also common. The Health Ministry shot back, saying their numbers are accurate, with those happening with the abortion pill counted in, as well as all illegal abortions discovered by the police.
But that did not persuade Andriy Shkil, a right-wing member of parliament who registered a bill to ban abortions on March 12. His draft suggests that abortions should only be allowed as an exception in special medical circumstances, in case of death of the child's father, if the family has a history of disability or in case of teenage pregnancies under 16. Shkil says that having an abortion costs less than visiting a dentist in Ukraine, and it's just as easy. "We need to stop the situation when doctors kill children using public funds," he told the Kyiv Post.
Dozens of women's organizations came out with a public appeal against the move. "None of us women endorse artificial interruption of a life,” they wrote. “But it does not mean that women should be denied the right to make choices and decide about their bodies and their destiny."
Galina Maystruk, a gynecologist and head of the Foundation of Women's Health and Family Planning, said that in neighboring Poland, an abortion ban did not increase birthrates. Instead, Polish women now go to Germany or France for an abortion, while less affluent families often opt for Lviv in Ukraine.
But most Ukrainian women don't have the option of going abroad.
“The black market will be running. Providers of these services will be people who have no relation to medicine and the cost for the medical sector will be huge,” warns Maystruk. Instead of relatively cheap abortions, the health-care system will have to pick up the costs that could include expensive surgeries and rehabilitation.
“The consequences can be terrible – we have the experience of the Stalin times, particularly from 1946 to 1955, when thousands of women in Ukraine were dying during [illegal] abortions. Today, women are not dying from abortion,” Maystruk says.
Shkil says that the high mortality rate in the Stalin years was caused by a complete ban on abortions, even for medical reasons. He believes that his law leaves enough room to avoid that.
But Vyacheslav Kaminsky, the chief gynecologist at the Health Ministry, says he is against ban abortions nevertheless. "Instantly some criminal proposals will arise, therefore they will do it on the streets," Kaminsky says. He said Ukraine’s current legislation on abortion is in line with European requirements.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in 2008 called for legalization of abortions, arguing that “the ban on abortions does not result in fewer abortions, but mainly leads to clandestine abortions, which are more traumatic and cause the increasing of maternal mortality or development of ‘abortion tourism,’ which is costly, postpone the time of abortion and leads to social inequality. The legality of abortion has no impact on the needs of women in abortion, but only on her access to safe abortion."
Both supporters and opponents of the ban agree that abortions have severe social consequences. According to Kaminsky, the reason for 80 percent of abortions is poverty in the family. Representatives of the church and women's organizations say that the state needs to address the problem by creating conditions where giving birth to a child is less financially burdensome.
Also, Maystruk says that a major campaign on contraception is needed. “Ukraine has a big problem with the use of contraception, especially in rural areas and among people with financial constraints,” she says.
Kyiv Post staff writer Olena Abramovych can be reached at abramovych@kyivpost.com.
VIDEO: Да ісправится молитва моя...Let my prayer arise in Thy sight as incense
Parishioners of St. Elias may recognize Nazar Yaruniv, (deacon now) as he spent some time with us last year. He is seen at the far right.
Клиросний хор священиків Львівської Митрополії УГКЦ
[Пс.140:2] Да исправится молитва моя,
яко кадило пред Тобою,
воздеяние руку моею –
жертва вечерняя.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:1] Господи, воззвах к Тебе,
услыши мя:
вонми гласу
моления моего,
внегда воззвати ми
вонми, вонми,
внегда воззвати ми к Тебе.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:3] Положи, Господи,
хранение устом моим,
и дверь ограждения
о устнах моих.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:4] Не уклони
сердце мое
в словеса лукавствия,
непщевати, непщевати
вины о гресех.
Клиросний хор священиків Львівської Митрополії УГКЦ
[Пс.140:2] Да исправится молитва моя,
яко кадило пред Тобою,
воздеяние руку моею –
жертва вечерняя.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:1] Господи, воззвах к Тебе,
услыши мя:
вонми гласу
моления моего,
внегда воззвати ми
вонми, вонми,
внегда воззвати ми к Тебе.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:3] Положи, Господи,
хранение устом моим,
и дверь ограждения
о устнах моих.
(Хор - Пс.140:2)
[Пс.140:4] Не уклони
сердце мое
в словеса лукавствия,
непщевати, непщевати
вины о гресех.
O Lord, I cry to You hear me! Let my prayer rise like incense before You. The lifting of my hands, like the evening sacrifice. Let not my heart turn to wrong,
to doing evening with wicked men...
My spirit faints within me, but You know my path...
You are my refuge, all I have left in the land of the living.
Listen then to my cry, for I am in the very depths of despair.
Rescue me from those who pursue me for they are stronger than I.
Set me free from this prison, so that I may praise your Name...
If You, Lord, mark our guilt, Lord, who would survive?
But with You is found forgiveness, for this we revere You.
From the morning watch till nightfall, let Israel count on the Lord.
For with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption.
Strong is His love for us, without end His faithfulness...
(https://www.facebook.com/priestschoir for more)
SOURCE: The Telegraph UK
Here's a photograph to gladden the heart of any traditional Catholic and to give The Tablet's Bobbie Mickens a fit of the vapours. The prelate wearing that magnificent mitre is a bishop of England and Wales, believe it or not, presiding at a solemn Latin Mass to mark the re-opening of a parish where the worship will be in the Extraordinary Form. More than a thousand people attended.
Yes, you read that right. Summorum Pontificum has finally been fully implemented by a diocesan bishop – the Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, who has entrusted the Shrine Church of Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena in New Brighton, Wirral, to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. This much-loved building, once known as "the dome of home" to returning sailors, had previously been closed. Bishop Davies saw no reason why this dynamic apostolic institute should not revive it.
"Perhaps in this image we can recognise the new mission given to this church in a new and vibrant parish and amid the new needs of those who travel through the century before us,” said the bishop in his address. "Today we do not simply wish to open the doors of a closed building but to be open in our hearts to what Blessed John Paul II called ‘Eucharistic amazement’. I was asked in a radio interview whether I saw myself as part of an old, traditional church or a dynamic, evangelising community. My interviewer saw these as distinct alternatives but to the Catholic mind the answer must always be both."
Can you imagine any other bishop of England and Wales having the conviction and courage to implement the Motu Proprio so enthusiastically? No, me neither. Bishop Davies is a pastor of remarkable calibre; the question now is whether Rome will send us another bishop in his mould – or will simply allow the Magic Circle to shunt its candidates into soon-to-be-vacant diocesan sees.
Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke.
Yes, you read that right. Summorum Pontificum has finally been fully implemented by a diocesan bishop – the Rt Rev Mark Davies, Bishop of Shrewsbury, who has entrusted the Shrine Church of Ss Peter and Paul and St Philomena in New Brighton, Wirral, to the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest. This much-loved building, once known as "the dome of home" to returning sailors, had previously been closed. Bishop Davies saw no reason why this dynamic apostolic institute should not revive it.
Can you imagine any other bishop of England and Wales having the conviction and courage to implement the Motu Proprio so enthusiastically? No, me neither. Bishop Davies is a pastor of remarkable calibre; the question now is whether Rome will send us another bishop in his mould – or will simply allow the Magic Circle to shunt its candidates into soon-to-be-vacant diocesan sees.
Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a columnist for the Daily Telegraph. He was once described by The Church Times as a "blood-crazed ferret". He is on Twitter as HolySmoke.
Monday, March 26, 2012
St Elias Church - Paska Bake Sale - Saturday April 7
Once again, St. Elias will host its annual Paska and Bake Sale on Saturday, April 7 (Lazaraus Saturday...and this year...the Feast of the Annunciation as well), from Noon to 3:00 pm. All are welcome.
Below are photos taken this past Sunday of our volunteers who went through some 40 lbs. of potatoes in the preparation of varenyky (perogies) which will be available for purchase, along with Paska bread for Easter as well as an assortment of delicious cakes and cookies. This parish fundraiser is always well attended and many of the food items go quickly. See you there.
Below are photos taken this past Sunday of our volunteers who went through some 40 lbs. of potatoes in the preparation of varenyky (perogies) which will be available for purchase, along with Paska bread for Easter as well as an assortment of delicious cakes and cookies. This parish fundraiser is always well attended and many of the food items go quickly. See you there.
Освящение тюремного храма в г. Сухиничи
На территории ИК-5 города Сухиничи 12 сентября 2011 года состоялось торжественное освящение храма в честь Всех Святых, в земле Российской просиявших, построенного при участии братии монастыря Оптина Пустынь.
The video can be a little choppy, but the images are beautiful - vesting of a bishop, consecration of a new temple, Sacrament of Holy Confession, etc.
The video can be a little choppy, but the images are beautiful - vesting of a bishop, consecration of a new temple, Sacrament of Holy Confession, etc.
UGCC photo, video and audio files now found on one website
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church presents an Internet media resource with UGCC photos, video and audio files. UGCC.tv is being created and maintained by the UGCC Information Department.
“Now this website has media files that describe the activities of the head of the UGCC, of the Synod of the UGCC, the life of eparchies and bishops, of the Church in Ukraine and abroad, and more. On this website we plan to broadcast services from various churches, press conferences, academic events and more. In this way we will be one step closer to creating a full online television channel for the UGCC with program listings, news, etc.” said Fr. Ihor Yatsiv, head of the Information Department.
Developers ask for assistance in disseminating information about this resource, and to send your comments and suggestions to the following e-mail address: press@ugcc.org.ua.
“We are also interested in receiving media files about the life of the eparchies, parishes, schools, monasteries, and charitable church organizations, and publishing them on this website,” said Fr. Ihor.
UGCC Information Department
“Now this website has media files that describe the activities of the head of the UGCC, of the Synod of the UGCC, the life of eparchies and bishops, of the Church in Ukraine and abroad, and more. On this website we plan to broadcast services from various churches, press conferences, academic events and more. In this way we will be one step closer to creating a full online television channel for the UGCC with program listings, news, etc.” said Fr. Ihor Yatsiv, head of the Information Department.
Developers ask for assistance in disseminating information about this resource, and to send your comments and suggestions to the following e-mail address: press@ugcc.org.ua.
“We are also interested in receiving media files about the life of the eparchies, parishes, schools, monasteries, and charitable church organizations, and publishing them on this website,” said Fr. Ihor.
UGCC Information Department
Metropolitan Volodymyr Ordains One Metropolitan and Two Archbishops
On March 25, Metropolitan Volodymyr of the UOC-MP celebrated a liturgy in St. Nicholas’ Church of the Kyiv Cave Monastery for the first time (since last September).
The metropolitan served the liturgy in concelebration with Archbishop Volodymyr of Pochayiv, Archbishop Oleksandr of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi and Vyshneve and two bishops.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the cathedra of the Kyiv metropolitans, Mertropolitan Volodymyr ordained Archbishop Volodymyr metropolitan and ordained bishops Serafim of Yahotyh and Oleksandr of Horodnytsia archbishops in view of their church merits regarding the renewal of Pochayiv Monastery, St. Panteleimon’s Monastery in Kyiv, St. Heorhii’s Monastery of Horodnytsia.
The metropolitan also ordained a worker of the Pilgrimage Center of the Department of External Church Relations of the UOC, Deacon Serhii Berezhnyi priest, reported the website of UOC-MP.
Блаженніший Митрополит Володимир звершив богослужіння у Святій Успенській Києво-Печерській Лаврі та возвів у сан митрополита намісника Почаївської Лаври
24 березня SOURCE: Official Website UOC-MP Блаженніший Митрополит Київський і всієї України Володимир вперше (з вересня минулого року) звершив у Свято-Миколаївському храмі, що при резиденції Предстоятеля УПЦ у Києво-Печерській Лаврі, Божественну літургію.
Йому співслужили: архієпископи — Почаївський Володимир, Переяслав-Хмельницький і Вишневський Олександр та єпископи — Яготинський Серафим і Городницький Олександр.
Під час Малого входу Блаженніший Митрополит Володимир з нагоди 20-річчя Предстоятельського служіння Українській Православній Церкві на Кафедрі Київських Митрополитів та на увагу до церковних заслуг по відродженню чернечого життя — відновленню Свято-Успенської Почаївської Лаври, Свято-Пантелеімонівського монастиря м. Києва (в Феофанії), Городницького Свято-Георгіївського Ставропігійного чоловічого монастиря — возвів у сан митрополита архієпископа Володимира; у сан архієпископа — єпископів Серафима та Олександра.
Також за богослужінням Предстоятель УПЦ висвятив у сан священика, з врученням жовтого наперсного хреста, співробітника Паломницького центру при Відділі зовнішніх церковних зв’язків УПЦ диякона Сергія Бережного.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Russian Catholic Old Ritualists (Katolicheskaja Stariobriodtsi)
A gem of a find on ByzCath.org:
Russian Catholic Old Ritualists (Katolicheskaja Stariobriodtsi)
Rite: Byzantine
Tradition: Slavic
Rescension: Pre-Nikonian
Liturgical Form: Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
Liturgical Language(s): Old Church Slavonic and Russian
Russian Catholic Old Ritualists do not constitute a Church sui iuris; rather, they are a distinct body of faithful within the Russian Greek-Catholic Church sui iuris, with which they share a common spiritual heritage. However, unlike their co-religionists, who serve liturgically according to the so-called Great Russian or Synodal usage, they follow the rubrics and rituals that were retained by Orthodox Old Believers and Old Ritualists after Patriarch Nikon of Moscow 'reformed' Orthodox liturgical praxis in the 17th century.
The existence of Old Ritualists among Russian Greek-Catholics, however, traces only to the early 20th century. In 1909, the Servant of God Father Eustachios (Susalev), a presbyter of the Popovotsy (priested) Old Believers in Saint Petersburg, was received into union with Rome, together with his parishioners. A decade later, the Servant of God Father Patapios (Emilianov) entered communion, together with approximately a thousand parishioners of the Edinovertsie (Uniate Old Believers) Russian Orthodox parish which he pastored in Nizhnaja Bogdanovka.
Pope St Pius X declared that former Orthodox Old Believer communities entering communion with the Catholic Church retained the right to continue worshipping according to the liturgical forms that they had historically served. In 1928, Metropolitan Andrew (Sheptitsky), of blessed memory, who at the time exercised a canonical omophor in regards to Russian Greek-Catholics, clearly enunciated that the Old Believer rituals were to be preserved intact, forbidding any admixture of Synodal and pre-Nikonian praxis.
Both Fathers Eustachios and Patapios were exiled to the Siberian gulags by the Russian Communist regime and eventually martyred at its hands. It is likely that many of their parishioners suffered the same fate. Small numbers escaped to China, taking up residence in Shanghai and Harbin, where other Russian Catholic and Orthodox emigres had also established a presence. This situation continued until the Communist Chinese takeover made it impossible to remain there.
The status of Old Ritualist Catholics in the Soviet Union itself was unknown for decades. Until Russian Greek-Catholics emerged from their virtual catacomb existence in the late twentieth century, it seemed unlikely that any organized bodies of Old Ritualists survived the eight centuries of persecution.
Entries in this section are cross-listed in that for the Russian Greek-Catholic Church.
A photograph of the Servant of God, Father Patapios Emilianov, accompanies the link to listings for this body of faithful. Father Patapios was a Russian Orthodox presbyter in Nizhnaja Bogdanovka. In an effort to bring Popovotsy (priested) Old Believers into communion with the Russian Orthodox Church, the latter agreed that those who did so would be permitted to retain their historic praxis and unique spirituality. These were known as Edinovertsie or Uniate Russian Orthodox and Father Patapios' parish was such a former Popovotsy community.
In 1918, Father Patapios sought to enter communion with the Catholic Church. He was received, in orders, by Metropolitan Andrew and accompanied by his parishioners, numbering 852 adults. During the early '30s, Father Patapios, together with many Russian Catholic and Orthodox clergy and hierarchs, was arrested and transported to the gulags. On 14 August 1936, he was martyred in odium fidei at Nadvojtsy in the Republic of Karelia.
Painting: Detail of 'Boyarynya Morozova' by Vasily Surikov, depicting the arrest and transport to prison in chains of the defiant Russian Orthodox Old Believer and noblewoman, the Boyarynya Feodosia Prokopiyevna Morozova, martyred by starvation in 1675.
For more on this, follow the discussions at the Byzantine-Catholic Forum
Russian Catholic Old Ritualists (Katolicheskaja Stariobriodtsi)
Rite: Byzantine
Tradition: Slavic
Rescension: Pre-Nikonian
Liturgical Form: Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
Liturgical Language(s): Old Church Slavonic and Russian
Russian Catholic Old Ritualists do not constitute a Church sui iuris; rather, they are a distinct body of faithful within the Russian Greek-Catholic Church sui iuris, with which they share a common spiritual heritage. However, unlike their co-religionists, who serve liturgically according to the so-called Great Russian or Synodal usage, they follow the rubrics and rituals that were retained by Orthodox Old Believers and Old Ritualists after Patriarch Nikon of Moscow 'reformed' Orthodox liturgical praxis in the 17th century.
The existence of Old Ritualists among Russian Greek-Catholics, however, traces only to the early 20th century. In 1909, the Servant of God Father Eustachios (Susalev), a presbyter of the Popovotsy (priested) Old Believers in Saint Petersburg, was received into union with Rome, together with his parishioners. A decade later, the Servant of God Father Patapios (Emilianov) entered communion, together with approximately a thousand parishioners of the Edinovertsie (Uniate Old Believers) Russian Orthodox parish which he pastored in Nizhnaja Bogdanovka.
Pope St Pius X declared that former Orthodox Old Believer communities entering communion with the Catholic Church retained the right to continue worshipping according to the liturgical forms that they had historically served. In 1928, Metropolitan Andrew (Sheptitsky), of blessed memory, who at the time exercised a canonical omophor in regards to Russian Greek-Catholics, clearly enunciated that the Old Believer rituals were to be preserved intact, forbidding any admixture of Synodal and pre-Nikonian praxis.
Both Fathers Eustachios and Patapios were exiled to the Siberian gulags by the Russian Communist regime and eventually martyred at its hands. It is likely that many of their parishioners suffered the same fate. Small numbers escaped to China, taking up residence in Shanghai and Harbin, where other Russian Catholic and Orthodox emigres had also established a presence. This situation continued until the Communist Chinese takeover made it impossible to remain there.
The status of Old Ritualist Catholics in the Soviet Union itself was unknown for decades. Until Russian Greek-Catholics emerged from their virtual catacomb existence in the late twentieth century, it seemed unlikely that any organized bodies of Old Ritualists survived the eight centuries of persecution.
Entries in this section are cross-listed in that for the Russian Greek-Catholic Church.
A photograph of the Servant of God, Father Patapios Emilianov, accompanies the link to listings for this body of faithful. Father Patapios was a Russian Orthodox presbyter in Nizhnaja Bogdanovka. In an effort to bring Popovotsy (priested) Old Believers into communion with the Russian Orthodox Church, the latter agreed that those who did so would be permitted to retain their historic praxis and unique spirituality. These were known as Edinovertsie or Uniate Russian Orthodox and Father Patapios' parish was such a former Popovotsy community.
In 1918, Father Patapios sought to enter communion with the Catholic Church. He was received, in orders, by Metropolitan Andrew and accompanied by his parishioners, numbering 852 adults. During the early '30s, Father Patapios, together with many Russian Catholic and Orthodox clergy and hierarchs, was arrested and transported to the gulags. On 14 August 1936, he was martyred in odium fidei at Nadvojtsy in the Republic of Karelia.
 All Russian Catholic Old Ritualist parishes and missions in the US, by state |  All Russian Catholic Old Ritualist parishes and missions in Russia |
For more on this, follow the discussions at the Byzantine-Catholic Forum
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Orthodox activists rally near British embassy in Moscow
Moscow, March 22, SOURCE: Interfax - A picket in defense of Christians' rights in the UK was held near the British embassy in Moscow on Wednesday.
The picket was organized by the Orthodox public movement Narodny Sobor in response to the decision made by the British authorities to fire people for openly wearing crosses, Narodny Sobor told Interfax-Religion.
The protesters were holding imperial flags saying "Stop the persecution of Christians!" and "Britain! If you ban crosses, ban your flag too!"
"The Moscow division of Narodny Sobor is concerned about the recent developments in the EU in general and in the UK in particular, where discrimination against Christians has become commonplace. We consider it our duty to categorically oppose militant atheism and anti-Christian tolerance in any country of the world," the movement says.
According to earlier reports, the British authorities intend to defend the legality of the ban on public wearing of crosses in the UK in the European Court of Human Rights.
The Strasbourg court will try lawsuits involving the religious discrimination against four Christians from the UK, who have lost their cases in British courts.
The Russian Church earlier expressed surprise about the loyalty of the British authorities, who have banned wearing crosses at work, to other symbols, for example, gay symbols.
"This decision made by the British parliament is certainly alarming, especially given the existence in modern European society of other tendencies aimed at liberating human instincts," Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the Synodal Information Department, told reporters. He said he was surprised by the fact that public demonstration of affiliation with gay culture is considered normal in the UK while the wearing of crosses is not.
+++++++++++++++++++++
At least 1,000 missionaries killed from 1980 to 2011 (SOURCE: Vatican News)
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - According to information in our possession, during the decade 1980-1989, 115 missionaries were violently killed. This figure, however, is undoubtedly at fault because it refers only to confirmed cases, of which news was received.
The summary of the years 1990-2000 presents a total of 604 missionaries killed, according to our information. The number is significantly higher than the previous decade, however, the following factors must also be considered: the genocide in Rwanda (1994) that caused at least 248 victims among ecclesiastics; the increased speed of mass media to spread the news even from most remote places; the count that is no longer related to only the missionaries ad gentes in the strict sense, but all ecclesiastics killed in a violent manner, or who sacrificed their lives aware of the risks, while not abandoning the people in his/her care .
In the years 2001-2010 the total number of pastoral workers killed was 255 people. In the year 2011 26 pastoral workers were killed: 18 priests, 4 women religious, 4 lay. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 21/3/2012)
The protesters were holding imperial flags saying "Stop the persecution of Christians!" and "Britain! If you ban crosses, ban your flag too!"
"The Moscow division of Narodny Sobor is concerned about the recent developments in the EU in general and in the UK in particular, where discrimination against Christians has become commonplace. We consider it our duty to categorically oppose militant atheism and anti-Christian tolerance in any country of the world," the movement says.
According to earlier reports, the British authorities intend to defend the legality of the ban on public wearing of crosses in the UK in the European Court of Human Rights.
The Strasbourg court will try lawsuits involving the religious discrimination against four Christians from the UK, who have lost their cases in British courts.
The Russian Church earlier expressed surprise about the loyalty of the British authorities, who have banned wearing crosses at work, to other symbols, for example, gay symbols.
"This decision made by the British parliament is certainly alarming, especially given the existence in modern European society of other tendencies aimed at liberating human instincts," Vladimir Legoyda, the head of the Synodal Information Department, told reporters. He said he was surprised by the fact that public demonstration of affiliation with gay culture is considered normal in the UK while the wearing of crosses is not.
+++++++++++++++++++++
At least 1,000 missionaries killed from 1980 to 2011 (SOURCE: Vatican News)
Rome (Agenzia Fides) - According to information in our possession, during the decade 1980-1989, 115 missionaries were violently killed. This figure, however, is undoubtedly at fault because it refers only to confirmed cases, of which news was received.
The summary of the years 1990-2000 presents a total of 604 missionaries killed, according to our information. The number is significantly higher than the previous decade, however, the following factors must also be considered: the genocide in Rwanda (1994) that caused at least 248 victims among ecclesiastics; the increased speed of mass media to spread the news even from most remote places; the count that is no longer related to only the missionaries ad gentes in the strict sense, but all ecclesiastics killed in a violent manner, or who sacrificed their lives aware of the risks, while not abandoning the people in his/her care .
In the years 2001-2010 the total number of pastoral workers killed was 255 people. In the year 2011 26 pastoral workers were killed: 18 priests, 4 women religious, 4 lay. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 21/3/2012)
The U.S. Presidential Election and the Ukrainian Diaspora
SOURCE: RISU
Among the many forms of public discourse in the U.S. is the bumper sticker. In a mobile society rich in automobiles but poor in opportunities for reasoned discussion, one way that people express their views on politics, religion, and even philosophy is the message or symbol that they display on the backs of their cars, on or near the rear bumper. Many Evangelical Baptists and other Protestants display the ancient fish symbol with the Greek acronym “ichthous” for “Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior.” In response, secular materialists have devised an image of a fish which has grown legs, to denote evolution – Darwinism being the nemesis of some fundamentalist Protestant sects. Today I saw yet another twist on this evolving symbolic discourse – a diagram of a fish with the word “gefilte” inside – to add a Jewish voice to the discussion.
Indeed, it has been said that the United States is practically the only advanced industrialized Western country where religion still plays a major role in politics. That, at least, is the common perception. After all, this is a country where the “Evangelical vote” is a major factor; where two of the candidates for the Republican nomination (Mitt Romney, the likely nominee, and Jon Huntsman) are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“Mormons”), where one of the front-running Republican candidates (Rick Santorum) has offended some voters by his forthright but clumsy espousal of Catholic doctrine, and where the Democratic president’s religious beliefs continue to be an object of public curiosity.
And yet, this religiosity is to some extent illusory. Some have argued that for all their “God-talk,” in their daily lives most Americans are no longer guided by Christian or other religious principles. When it comes down to actual decisions in everyday life, they tend to be pragmatists, or even “practical atheists.” In a review of sociologist Craig Gay’s “The Way of the (Modern) World: Or, Why It’s Tempting to Live as if God Doesn’t Exist,” Ken Myers writes that “God does not matter practically – in the practices of everyday life – because the chief end of man in modernity is the maintenance of control over reality, and we can adequately achieve such dominance through science and technology (and through social and cultural institutions that are scientific and technically ordered).” (Ken Myers, “What’s God Got to Do with It?” “Touchstone,” March/April 2012, p. 12.)
If this is true, it is certainly reflected in American politics, which are not aligned along any discernible religious guidelines. In today’s American electorate, there are two basic sets of political opinions. The typical views of a “liberal” from a “blue state” include support for greater social and economic equality, higher taxes on the wealthy, and a universal health care plan. Social equality would include equal rights for members of racial and religious minorities, women, and the GLBT (gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals). Women’s rights would include the supposed right to abortion. Liberals favor helping immigrants assimilate into American society. At the same time, they traditionally support labor and the trade unions. The typical views of a “red-state” “conservative” – and this term must be understood in its American sense of “libertarian,” as opposed to the traditional European conservative, who tends to be statist – would include minimizing the role of the federal government, particularly in the economic area. This means minimal taxes or a flat tax on all, less regulation of business and, particularly in the southern and western states, the right to bear arms. On the other hand, the government is expected to protect unborn life and the sanctity of traditional marriage. Many conservatives support the death penalty, and seek strict regulation of immigration. While liberal voters generally feel that individuals need government protection from circumstances of life beyond their control, conservatives tend to emphasize each person’s responsibility for his own condition. Consequently, liberals believe that government should even out the economic and other inequalities of life, while conservatives seek to protect individual enterprise and wealth from government interference. It is noteworthy that both liberals and conservatives tend to focus on individual rights.
It should be evident that neither of these sets of values squares perfectly with Christianity as most Catholics and Orthodox would understand it. For while liberals solidarize with the poor and disadvantaged, they de-emphasize individual moral responsibility. For example, they assume that women become pregnant against their will, and that abortion is a legitimate way to avoid the impoverishing effect of having children. Conservatives, on the other hand, support traditional Christian personal morality, but seem oblivious to Christian (and particularly Catholic) social teaching. Thus, while they defend heterosexual marriage as the basic institution of society, they oppose government regulation of big businesses whose practices weaken and corrupt the social fabric, including the family. In short, neither liberals nor conservatives represent a consistent Christian world view.
This was not always so. In the nineteenth century, there was a general Protestant consensus. The constitutional structure of the United States, especially the First Amendment, followed broad Deist principles, allowing for the “free exercise” of religion but avoiding a national commitment to any one religious establishment. In effect, the state was secular from the beginning. But in the nineteenth century, law and public life in the individual states honored the moral precepts of Christianity. Religious liberty was enjoyed by all kinds of Protestant sects, and over the past two centuries has indulged such practices as conscientious objection to military service, refusal to salute the American flag, and home schooling. Nevertheless, “free exercise” of religion under the First Amendment has never been limitless. The Mormon practice of polygamy was not tolerated. Over a century later, the smoking of the hallucinogenic drug peyote for Native American religious purposes was held not to be protected by the First Amendment. (Thomas Storck, “John Locke, Liberal Totalitarianism, and the Trivialization of Religion,” Faith & Reason Vol. 23 No. 3 (Autumn 2001), pp. 227-48.)
With the influx of immigrants from Ireland and Germany in the mid-nineteenth century and from Italy and Eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth, Roman Catholics presented a new factor in American religious and political life. At first they were excluded from public life, suspected of disloyalty because of their allegiance to Rome. The unsuccessful presidential candidacy of Al Smith in 1928 – and John F. Kennedy’s successful bid in 1960 only after disclaiming any Catholic influence on his actions as future president -- represented both the possibilities and the limitations of Catholic participation in American politics.
By the 1920s, American Christians could be divided into three camps. Liberal Protestants followed the Enlightenment principle of individual conscience and autonomy, guided by personal experience. Evangelicals regarded the Bible as the prime authority. Catholics looked to the Church of Rome as the arbiter of truth, and demanded freedom to submit to its authority. These groups all accepted the general notion of religious liberty. However, they differed in how they understood it.
Between the 1920s and the 1960s, America became more secular. Courts applied the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment. Catholics and Evangelicals could often find common cause in opposition to the liberal Protestants. While liberal Protestants saw individual freedom as an end in itself, Catholics held that freedom must be exercised for the common good of society. But liberal Protestantism’s emphasis on individual conscience inevitably abandoned its own Christian orientation, for there was no reason to assume that the individual conscience would remain bound by Christian principles. This led to the situation that exists in America today, with liberals (both Christian and secular) ranged against orthodox Catholics and Evangelicals. (Barry Hankins, “Liberty, Conscience and Autonomy: How the Culture War of the Roaring Twenties Set the Stage for Today’s Catholic and Evangelical Alliance,” Touchstone, November-December 2011, pp. 42-47). The latter coalition is exemplified by Republican candidate Rick Santorum, whose staunchly Catholic positions on issues like abortion and contraception have attracted a strong Evangelical following. Yet his “conservative” views on some other issues can hardly be described as Catholic.
Where do diaspora Ukrainians fit in this constellation of religious and political forces? Although most immigrants in twentieth-century America supported the Democratic Party, post-war Ukrainian immigrants tended to support the Republicans because of their staunchly anti-communist stance, and such community leaders as Lev E. Dobriansky and Myron Kuropas achieved notable success in that party. Today, however, a new generation of the Ukrainian diaspora seems more evenly divided between the two.
While it may be argued that religion no longer plays a central role in American public life, last January the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement that once again polarized the country on religious grounds. It refused to broaden the narrow exceptions to its mandate that Catholic schools, hospitals, and other employers must cover contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization in their health care plans for employees, and that almost all employees would be forced to buy that coverage in their plans.
In a letter to the faithful dated February 9, 2012, Bishop Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, Ukrainian Catholic eparch of Stamford, wrote that “In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.” Pointing out that the rule put people of other faiths in an untenable position as well, the eparch declared that “We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law.” Accompanying the publication of his letter in the eparchial newspaper “The Sower” was a note from the Bishop mentioning the revised but still inadequate position of the Obama administration issued on February 10 in response to the public outcry, stipulating that payment for contraception and similar services could be made by the church organizations’ insurance companies instead. The exarch then cited a response by Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia published in the “Philadelphia Inquirer.” In that letter, which the “Sower” published below that of Bishop Paul, Archbishop Chaput noted that the Obama administration had long ago shifted towards “the anemic language of ‘freedom of worship’ instead of the more historically grounded and robust concept of ‘freedom of religion’ in key diplomatic discussion,” and had in other ways shown its indifference to people of faith. (“The Sower, February 26, 2012, p. 3). As another Catholic prelate pointed out, even the Soviet Union permitted people to worship privately.
However, the First Amendment free exercise clause does not create an absolute and unlimited right. When it comes to living life in the way mandated by one's religion, one is at the mercy of the priorities of a secular state and society. In the practice of many nations, the state interest in protecting public health, safety, morals, welfare and "public order" are an important limitation on even the most basic human rights. If the state defines “public health” to include contraception, then the free-exercise rights of the Catholic Church may have to yield. It seems that Catholics in the US have just discovered the limits of their constitutional rights.
How do these controversies affect the Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants of the Ukrainian diaspora? Statistical data on diaspora attitudes are absent, and even careful monitoring of the press and the internet would only produce general impressions. It does appear that many Ukrainian-Americans are firmly committed to their political parties. There is an active e-mail list, “Ukrainians for Obama,” which aside from the usual partisan cheerleading sometimes features interesting political discussions. While Bishop Paul has made his displeasure with the current administration known, it is difficult to say how many Ukrainian voters are troubled by religious scruples. No doubt many compartmentalize their consciences, separating the political from the religious in a misapplication of the “separation of church and state.”
But for those who are seriously committed to an integrated Christian life where one’s political positions flow from one’s Christian world view, there seem to be only two choices. They can take the painful path of choosing the lesser evil, overcoming their moral scruples on some issues but finding agreement with one or the other of the chief political parties on others. They can try to fit their Christian principles onto the Procrustean bed of either the Democratic or the Republican Party. Thus, for example, some Ukrainian Catholics might support the Democrats’ commitment to universal health care as a realization of the Catholic social teaching that the state is responsible for the welfare of its citizens, while ignoring their tolerance of abortion. Others might favor a Republican candidate’s defense of unborn life and heterosexual marriage, while ignoring his libertarian opposition to programs for the poor at home and abroad.
Alternatively, diaspora Ukrainians can conclude that the American political discourse is so alien to Christian sensibilities that it is best for them to separate themselves from politics and the state altogether. In this they will be like some of America’s more extreme sects. Indeed, seen in the perspective of today’s prevailing mores and culture, the beliefs of Catholics – while perfectly defensible on rational and natural-law grounds -- must appear as strange as those of the polygamous Mormons in the nineteenth century. Defending those beliefs may require acts of civil disobedience. It certainly makes voting difficult for Ukrainian Catholics and Orthodox. If they could vote “against all,” as is practiced in Ukraine, they might find that to be the best expression of their political position.
Among the many forms of public discourse in the U.S. is the bumper sticker. In a mobile society rich in automobiles but poor in opportunities for reasoned discussion, one way that people express their views on politics, religion, and even philosophy is the message or symbol that they display on the backs of their cars, on or near the rear bumper. Many Evangelical Baptists and other Protestants display the ancient fish symbol with the Greek acronym “ichthous” for “Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior.” In response, secular materialists have devised an image of a fish which has grown legs, to denote evolution – Darwinism being the nemesis of some fundamentalist Protestant sects. Today I saw yet another twist on this evolving symbolic discourse – a diagram of a fish with the word “gefilte” inside – to add a Jewish voice to the discussion.
Indeed, it has been said that the United States is practically the only advanced industrialized Western country where religion still plays a major role in politics. That, at least, is the common perception. After all, this is a country where the “Evangelical vote” is a major factor; where two of the candidates for the Republican nomination (Mitt Romney, the likely nominee, and Jon Huntsman) are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (“Mormons”), where one of the front-running Republican candidates (Rick Santorum) has offended some voters by his forthright but clumsy espousal of Catholic doctrine, and where the Democratic president’s religious beliefs continue to be an object of public curiosity.
If this is true, it is certainly reflected in American politics, which are not aligned along any discernible religious guidelines. In today’s American electorate, there are two basic sets of political opinions. The typical views of a “liberal” from a “blue state” include support for greater social and economic equality, higher taxes on the wealthy, and a universal health care plan. Social equality would include equal rights for members of racial and religious minorities, women, and the GLBT (gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals). Women’s rights would include the supposed right to abortion. Liberals favor helping immigrants assimilate into American society. At the same time, they traditionally support labor and the trade unions. The typical views of a “red-state” “conservative” – and this term must be understood in its American sense of “libertarian,” as opposed to the traditional European conservative, who tends to be statist – would include minimizing the role of the federal government, particularly in the economic area. This means minimal taxes or a flat tax on all, less regulation of business and, particularly in the southern and western states, the right to bear arms. On the other hand, the government is expected to protect unborn life and the sanctity of traditional marriage. Many conservatives support the death penalty, and seek strict regulation of immigration. While liberal voters generally feel that individuals need government protection from circumstances of life beyond their control, conservatives tend to emphasize each person’s responsibility for his own condition. Consequently, liberals believe that government should even out the economic and other inequalities of life, while conservatives seek to protect individual enterprise and wealth from government interference. It is noteworthy that both liberals and conservatives tend to focus on individual rights.
It should be evident that neither of these sets of values squares perfectly with Christianity as most Catholics and Orthodox would understand it. For while liberals solidarize with the poor and disadvantaged, they de-emphasize individual moral responsibility. For example, they assume that women become pregnant against their will, and that abortion is a legitimate way to avoid the impoverishing effect of having children. Conservatives, on the other hand, support traditional Christian personal morality, but seem oblivious to Christian (and particularly Catholic) social teaching. Thus, while they defend heterosexual marriage as the basic institution of society, they oppose government regulation of big businesses whose practices weaken and corrupt the social fabric, including the family. In short, neither liberals nor conservatives represent a consistent Christian world view.
This was not always so. In the nineteenth century, there was a general Protestant consensus. The constitutional structure of the United States, especially the First Amendment, followed broad Deist principles, allowing for the “free exercise” of religion but avoiding a national commitment to any one religious establishment. In effect, the state was secular from the beginning. But in the nineteenth century, law and public life in the individual states honored the moral precepts of Christianity. Religious liberty was enjoyed by all kinds of Protestant sects, and over the past two centuries has indulged such practices as conscientious objection to military service, refusal to salute the American flag, and home schooling. Nevertheless, “free exercise” of religion under the First Amendment has never been limitless. The Mormon practice of polygamy was not tolerated. Over a century later, the smoking of the hallucinogenic drug peyote for Native American religious purposes was held not to be protected by the First Amendment. (Thomas Storck, “John Locke, Liberal Totalitarianism, and the Trivialization of Religion,” Faith & Reason Vol. 23 No. 3 (Autumn 2001), pp. 227-48.)
With the influx of immigrants from Ireland and Germany in the mid-nineteenth century and from Italy and Eastern Europe at the turn of the twentieth, Roman Catholics presented a new factor in American religious and political life. At first they were excluded from public life, suspected of disloyalty because of their allegiance to Rome. The unsuccessful presidential candidacy of Al Smith in 1928 – and John F. Kennedy’s successful bid in 1960 only after disclaiming any Catholic influence on his actions as future president -- represented both the possibilities and the limitations of Catholic participation in American politics.
By the 1920s, American Christians could be divided into three camps. Liberal Protestants followed the Enlightenment principle of individual conscience and autonomy, guided by personal experience. Evangelicals regarded the Bible as the prime authority. Catholics looked to the Church of Rome as the arbiter of truth, and demanded freedom to submit to its authority. These groups all accepted the general notion of religious liberty. However, they differed in how they understood it.
Between the 1920s and the 1960s, America became more secular. Courts applied the religious liberty clauses of the First Amendment to the states by way of the Fourteenth Amendment. Catholics and Evangelicals could often find common cause in opposition to the liberal Protestants. While liberal Protestants saw individual freedom as an end in itself, Catholics held that freedom must be exercised for the common good of society. But liberal Protestantism’s emphasis on individual conscience inevitably abandoned its own Christian orientation, for there was no reason to assume that the individual conscience would remain bound by Christian principles. This led to the situation that exists in America today, with liberals (both Christian and secular) ranged against orthodox Catholics and Evangelicals. (Barry Hankins, “Liberty, Conscience and Autonomy: How the Culture War of the Roaring Twenties Set the Stage for Today’s Catholic and Evangelical Alliance,” Touchstone, November-December 2011, pp. 42-47). The latter coalition is exemplified by Republican candidate Rick Santorum, whose staunchly Catholic positions on issues like abortion and contraception have attracted a strong Evangelical following. Yet his “conservative” views on some other issues can hardly be described as Catholic.
Where do diaspora Ukrainians fit in this constellation of religious and political forces? Although most immigrants in twentieth-century America supported the Democratic Party, post-war Ukrainian immigrants tended to support the Republicans because of their staunchly anti-communist stance, and such community leaders as Lev E. Dobriansky and Myron Kuropas achieved notable success in that party. Today, however, a new generation of the Ukrainian diaspora seems more evenly divided between the two.
While it may be argued that religion no longer plays a central role in American public life, last January the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement that once again polarized the country on religious grounds. It refused to broaden the narrow exceptions to its mandate that Catholic schools, hospitals, and other employers must cover contraception, abortifacients, and sterilization in their health care plans for employees, and that almost all employees would be forced to buy that coverage in their plans.
In a letter to the faithful dated February 9, 2012, Bishop Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, Ukrainian Catholic eparch of Stamford, wrote that “In so ruling, the Administration has cast aside the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, denying to Catholics our Nation’s first and most fundamental freedom, that of religious liberty.” Pointing out that the rule put people of other faiths in an untenable position as well, the eparch declared that “We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law.” Accompanying the publication of his letter in the eparchial newspaper “The Sower” was a note from the Bishop mentioning the revised but still inadequate position of the Obama administration issued on February 10 in response to the public outcry, stipulating that payment for contraception and similar services could be made by the church organizations’ insurance companies instead. The exarch then cited a response by Roman Catholic Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia published in the “Philadelphia Inquirer.” In that letter, which the “Sower” published below that of Bishop Paul, Archbishop Chaput noted that the Obama administration had long ago shifted towards “the anemic language of ‘freedom of worship’ instead of the more historically grounded and robust concept of ‘freedom of religion’ in key diplomatic discussion,” and had in other ways shown its indifference to people of faith. (“The Sower, February 26, 2012, p. 3). As another Catholic prelate pointed out, even the Soviet Union permitted people to worship privately.
However, the First Amendment free exercise clause does not create an absolute and unlimited right. When it comes to living life in the way mandated by one's religion, one is at the mercy of the priorities of a secular state and society. In the practice of many nations, the state interest in protecting public health, safety, morals, welfare and "public order" are an important limitation on even the most basic human rights. If the state defines “public health” to include contraception, then the free-exercise rights of the Catholic Church may have to yield. It seems that Catholics in the US have just discovered the limits of their constitutional rights.
How do these controversies affect the Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants of the Ukrainian diaspora? Statistical data on diaspora attitudes are absent, and even careful monitoring of the press and the internet would only produce general impressions. It does appear that many Ukrainian-Americans are firmly committed to their political parties. There is an active e-mail list, “Ukrainians for Obama,” which aside from the usual partisan cheerleading sometimes features interesting political discussions. While Bishop Paul has made his displeasure with the current administration known, it is difficult to say how many Ukrainian voters are troubled by religious scruples. No doubt many compartmentalize their consciences, separating the political from the religious in a misapplication of the “separation of church and state.”
Alternatively, diaspora Ukrainians can conclude that the American political discourse is so alien to Christian sensibilities that it is best for them to separate themselves from politics and the state altogether. In this they will be like some of America’s more extreme sects. Indeed, seen in the perspective of today’s prevailing mores and culture, the beliefs of Catholics – while perfectly defensible on rational and natural-law grounds -- must appear as strange as those of the polygamous Mormons in the nineteenth century. Defending those beliefs may require acts of civil disobedience. It certainly makes voting difficult for Ukrainian Catholics and Orthodox. If they could vote “against all,” as is practiced in Ukraine, they might find that to be the best expression of their political position.
Patriarch Josef Slipyj to Be Honoured At State Level
SOURCE: RISU
On 22 March, the Supreme Council of Ukraine passed a resolution to mark the 120th anniversary of birth of Patriarch Josef Slipyj. The document was initiated by Ukrainian deputies, Borys Tarasiuk, Viacheslav Koval and Oleksandr Chornovolenko and was supported by 361 deputies.
26 persons, including the whole faction of the Communists and a deputy of the Party of Regions, Yurii Boldyrev voted against the decision.
According to the web site of the Supreme Council, it recommended to the Government to establish an organizational committee on preparation and organization of the celebration of the anniversary and to facilitate publication of the works of Josef Slipyj. The resolution also envisages organization by the state TV and radio of programs about the life and activity of the famous leader of UGCC during the year.
On 22 March, the Supreme Council of Ukraine passed a resolution to mark the 120th anniversary of birth of Patriarch Josef Slipyj. The document was initiated by Ukrainian deputies, Borys Tarasiuk, Viacheslav Koval and Oleksandr Chornovolenko and was supported by 361 deputies.
26 persons, including the whole faction of the Communists and a deputy of the Party of Regions, Yurii Boldyrev voted against the decision.
According to the web site of the Supreme Council, it recommended to the Government to establish an organizational committee on preparation and organization of the celebration of the anniversary and to facilitate publication of the works of Josef Slipyj. The resolution also envisages organization by the state TV and radio of programs about the life and activity of the famous leader of UGCC during the year.
VIDEO: The Crisis in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine (Очередной раскол в Украинской православной церкви )
A good explanation of the current, past, and possible future crises in the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. (In Ukrainian and some Russian)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
US Catholics come to aid of Eastern European churches
SOURCE: NCR The National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company
March 21, 2012
The Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe is one of the smaller offices at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, with only two full-time staffers. But the office may pack more punch for the dollar than many other initiatives because its work in helping to rebuild the churches in former communist countries is yielding a harvest of grace.
The subcommittee is part of the bishops’ National Collections Office and was begun in 1990, the year after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The prime mover was Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, then archbishop of Newark, N.J. Since then, more than $100 million has been raised from the faithful in the United States and distributed to projects in the former communist countries, according to Declan Murphy, the subcommittee’s director. Murphy came to this job at the bishops’ conference after working as chief of staff to the Librarian of Congress for six years, but he said of his work for the conference, “This is the hardest job I’ve ever had in my life.”
Murphy said he is always struck by how the contributions to these national collections display the catholicity of the church. “We received a check for $25,000 from the diocese of Burlington, Vt.,” he said. “And I thought to myself -- there are no Eastern Europeans in Vermont! It is just Catholics wanting to help other Catholics.” Murphy explained that the U.S. bishops’ conference also works on many projects with the German bishops’ conference, but he noted the Germans are mostly interested in close-in European countries while the U.S. bishops are also helping in Kazakhstan and Armenia. During World War II, many Poles and Lithuanians were exiled to Kazakhstan. Armenia’s Christian roots are ancient. Both countries face unimaginable poverty, especially in the rural areas.
It is difficult to overstate the degree to which communist regimes decimated the churches of the 28 countries the collection assists. For example, in Albania, 95 percent of churches were razed and only 30 priests were active at the end of the communist regime, one-tenth of the number serving in Albania before the revolution.
Ukraine was especially hard-hit as oftentimes Russian Orthodox clergy collaborated with communist authorities to root out Eastern rite Catholics. “The government had decimated not just the church buildings, but especially the human capital,” said Spokane, Wash., Bishop Blase Cupich, who heads the subcommittee. “All non-Russian-Orthodox hierarchies were suppressed or killed.” Today, the church in the Ukraine is trying to rebuild and as one can imagine after so many years of repression, the Catholic clergy are very young, including the newly elected patriarch, 42-year-old Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. In Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics, the Russian government is still trying to exert pressure. “The church is needed not only for the future of the Gospel, but for the future of these countries,” Cupich said.
The collection in the U.S. has helped fund a range of projects in Ukraine. Clergy were sent to Rome and to the U.S. for advanced degrees. Early on, McCarrick helped the local church buy properties so they could build new churches throughout the country and to invest in a seminary to deal with the exploding number of vocations. The monies also fund catechetical and pastoral projects as the church tries to re-establish its intellectual life.
Cupich said one project especially moved him. Under communism, all the church’s properties were confiscated, so now the government has been turning over some properties to the church as compensation. One such building was formerly the KGB headquarters. The patriarch chose to make this his pastoral center, and U.S. assistance helped pay for the complete renovation of the building. Except the basement. “Bishops and priests had been tortured in that basement. There were many martyrs. The new patriarch said, ‘Let’s renovate everything, but that we should leave as a testament.’ He was undoubtedly right,” Cupich said.
Murphy said he hopes people who donate recognize how much good work their contributions accomplish. “I worry that people may think everything is fine now that communism is gone. The work is by no means done over there. There are social problems that only the church is addressing, such as the abuse of women.” He noted that even in Poland, which has joined the Eurozone, the eastern regions are quite poor.
Cupich is Croatian, and so he has a soft spot for the church in Eastern Europe. “It is true for a lot of Catholics, I think,” he said. “There is a real desire to be of help to the lands from which our ancestors came. They brought a deep sense of faith to these shores which built the church in the United States. We now have a responsibility to try and help them rebuild their church.”
[Michael Sean Winters writes about religion and politics on his Distinctly Catholic blog on the NCR website, at NCRonline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic.]
March 21, 2012
The Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe is one of the smaller offices at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, with only two full-time staffers. But the office may pack more punch for the dollar than many other initiatives because its work in helping to rebuild the churches in former communist countries is yielding a harvest of grace.
Murphy said he is always struck by how the contributions to these national collections display the catholicity of the church. “We received a check for $25,000 from the diocese of Burlington, Vt.,” he said. “And I thought to myself -- there are no Eastern Europeans in Vermont! It is just Catholics wanting to help other Catholics.” Murphy explained that the U.S. bishops’ conference also works on many projects with the German bishops’ conference, but he noted the Germans are mostly interested in close-in European countries while the U.S. bishops are also helping in Kazakhstan and Armenia. During World War II, many Poles and Lithuanians were exiled to Kazakhstan. Armenia’s Christian roots are ancient. Both countries face unimaginable poverty, especially in the rural areas.
It is difficult to overstate the degree to which communist regimes decimated the churches of the 28 countries the collection assists. For example, in Albania, 95 percent of churches were razed and only 30 priests were active at the end of the communist regime, one-tenth of the number serving in Albania before the revolution.
Ukraine was especially hard-hit as oftentimes Russian Orthodox clergy collaborated with communist authorities to root out Eastern rite Catholics. “The government had decimated not just the church buildings, but especially the human capital,” said Spokane, Wash., Bishop Blase Cupich, who heads the subcommittee. “All non-Russian-Orthodox hierarchies were suppressed or killed.” Today, the church in the Ukraine is trying to rebuild and as one can imagine after so many years of repression, the Catholic clergy are very young, including the newly elected patriarch, 42-year-old Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. In Ukraine and other former Soviet Republics, the Russian government is still trying to exert pressure. “The church is needed not only for the future of the Gospel, but for the future of these countries,” Cupich said.
The collection in the U.S. has helped fund a range of projects in Ukraine. Clergy were sent to Rome and to the U.S. for advanced degrees. Early on, McCarrick helped the local church buy properties so they could build new churches throughout the country and to invest in a seminary to deal with the exploding number of vocations. The monies also fund catechetical and pastoral projects as the church tries to re-establish its intellectual life.
Cupich said one project especially moved him. Under communism, all the church’s properties were confiscated, so now the government has been turning over some properties to the church as compensation. One such building was formerly the KGB headquarters. The patriarch chose to make this his pastoral center, and U.S. assistance helped pay for the complete renovation of the building. Except the basement. “Bishops and priests had been tortured in that basement. There were many martyrs. The new patriarch said, ‘Let’s renovate everything, but that we should leave as a testament.’ He was undoubtedly right,” Cupich said.
Murphy said he hopes people who donate recognize how much good work their contributions accomplish. “I worry that people may think everything is fine now that communism is gone. The work is by no means done over there. There are social problems that only the church is addressing, such as the abuse of women.” He noted that even in Poland, which has joined the Eurozone, the eastern regions are quite poor.
Cupich is Croatian, and so he has a soft spot for the church in Eastern Europe. “It is true for a lot of Catholics, I think,” he said. “There is a real desire to be of help to the lands from which our ancestors came. They brought a deep sense of faith to these shores which built the church in the United States. We now have a responsibility to try and help them rebuild their church.”
[Michael Sean Winters writes about religion and politics on his Distinctly Catholic blog on the NCR website, at NCRonline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic.]
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