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Greek Catholic Bishop of Transcarpathia to Celebrate Christmas outdoors
04.01.2006, [16:12] // Catholic //

Uzhhorod � Bishop Milan (Sasik), apostolic administrator of the Greek Catholic eparchy of southwestern Ukrainian Mukachevo, Transcarpathia region, intends to celebrate Christmas pontifical Liturgy on 7 January at the parish of Velyki Lazy, Uzhhorod district, and a Liturgy on 8 January at the parish in Benedykivtsi, Mukachevo district. Because representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church- Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) will not allow Greek Catholics in turns to celebrate services in church buildings formerly owned by the UOC-MP, the Liturgies will have to be celebrated outdoors. zik.com.ua posted the news on 3 January 2006.

�It is quite possible that I will have to serve these two Liturgies in the frost, like last year, since the Greek Catholic communities in those villages have no opportunity to pray in their churches,� said Bishop Sasik. �Contrary to the decision of the court, our faithful are not admitted to churches by the Orthodox of the Moscow Patriarchate, even though our communities agree to celebrate services in turns.�

The bishop said that, for instance, in Benedyktivtsi there are seven churches within the territory of the village council. Five were built by Greek Catholics, two by Orthodox, but all of them are used by the UOC-MP. Three Greek Catholic communities are registered there, but they cannot celebrate services in any of the churches. Last year, the roof of a church which was appointed by court decision for services in turns was removed by a storm. Only two cupolas with crosses, built by Greek Catholics, were left.

�The Lord is giving a sign from heaven,� said Bishop Sasik. �He cannot look at the injustice any more. The Greek Catholics have had to pray in the frost for 15 years. Our faithful gathered funds for repairs, including donations from villages in Halychyna [three far western Ukrainian regions on the other side of the Carpathian Mountains]. We managed to put a roof on the church again, but we are not allowed in by any means. We will seek to celebrate Liturgy on the [Christmas] holy days in the church, but if we are not admitted again, I will serve in the open air again.�

Source:

http://www.zik.com.ua/index.php?news_id=32171

Exactly the same situation is still true in many places in Romania.

Incognitus

That just ticks me off. The Russian Orthodox Church fears Catholics while allowing evangelical Protestants to pick off young memebers one by one. One day there may not be any faithful left.

ain't it the truth. Moscow needs to get its head on straight.
Much Love,
Jonn

I wonder if the Greek Catholic bishops in these places are doing something wrong in Ukraine and Romamia. Some years ago I met the RC Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. He had constant problems with the moslems who had the political power. There would be land allocated in new housing estates and the moslems would try to put mosque there while the people who lived int eh area were probalby of various non moslem faiths. He told me he kept a lawyer on to get straight into the Courts if the moslems tried anything. The Archbishop said the lawyer was working flat out. I cant help but feel that court orders need to be carried out and something is not working right here.

Pavel,

Certainly it's not the corruption in Eastern Europe that's blocking enforcement of this court order...

Pavel,

Certainly it's not the corruption in Eastern Europe that's blocking enforcement of this court order...