www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Lviv Archbishop says Eastern Catholics have not returned church

Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

This is some very interesting news from the Catholic News Service. There is more at this link: Eastern Catholics [catholicnews.com]

A Latin-rite archbishop in Ukraine said the country's Eastern Catholics broke a promise to return a Lviv church, and he threatened to appeal to the Vatican. "For the past 16 years, we've been asking for it to be given back," said Coadjutor Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki of the Latin-rite Archdiocese of Lviv.

LOL!! Must be those darned Muscovites, up to their usual tricks!



Alexandr

Not in this case, but it would be cool if the Russian Orthodox Church gave Greek Catholics their churches back that they stole in 1946 before trying to force them into the state-controlled Orthodox Church.

I wouldn't hold my breath, though. "Ecumenism" with the Russian Orthodox is usually a one-way street (thanks Cardinal Kasper!).

Alexis

Logos your words find target. Sometimes we have say true. And do not forget about other states at east Europe. They stolen lot of churches.

Wow, Alexandr, Moscow is actually off the hook on this one.

For centuries, Polish hierarchs have been nothing but a thorn in the side of Ukrainian Greek Catholics (especially toward Met. Andrew (Sheptytsky), (Blessed) Bishop Nicholas (Charnetsky), and (Blessed) Bishop Vasyl (Velichkovsky)-particularly obstructing their work in Volyn. In reading this Archbishop's comments, one can still see the dislike of Greek Catholics coming out. I was going to say a lot more, but I'll just bite my tongue! The UGCC bishop probably has his reasons. Let's give him a hearing!

Dn. Robert

Whatever the rights and wrongs of the situation, the Archbishop
should not be talking to the press about it. What does he
hope to accomplish? He will just irritate Patriarch Lyubomir
and probably Rome as well, thereby making his own life more
difficult.

Edmac

Yes, and that too!

Dn. Robert

Ah but to whom do the churches really belong to? We Orthodox think the Austrian Catholics turned the Orthodox churches into Catholic churches when Galicia became part of the Austrian Empire. Remer Galicia s still Orthodox. What is the point of re-hashing history all the time.
People have chosen with their feet whether the local parish will be Orthodox or Catholic in Galicia.
Let's just be thankful that the days of forcing a church on people are over and let's all just live together in peace and pray that "all may be one".

"Ahhh, what's done is done, that was way back in 1946! Ancient history!"???

There are still people from whom these churches were stolen living today.

Orest,

While I certainly say "Amen" to living together in peace and praying that "all may be one," I do not agree that "the days of forcing a church on people are over." There are still many who long for those days, and would go back to such a state in a heartbeat if they could.

I do, however, thank God that at the present time there is probably less "forcing a church on people" in the world than any time since the 4th Century, and I pray that this fact will contribute to the churches' working together to achieve Our Lord's desire that "all may be one".


Peace,
Deacon Richard

With my own eyes, when visiting north-eastern Poland, I have seen Greek-Catholic Churches taken by the Polish Roman Catholics after World War II - in some of them there are still bits and pieces of the icon-screens.

In the Lemko Region (the Beskyd mountains) of southern Poland, it's even more blatant. Some of the churches taken by the Polish Roman Catholics still have all the Greek-Catholic furnishings intact!

If the Latin Archbishop of Lwow feels himself hard done by, perhaps he should visit some of these church buildings in his native Poland. He might learn something.

Fr. Serge

Papa /Pope/ John PAUL II was great man , but Polish latin church especcially its priests , did use Pope*s nathionality to theirs own purposes / I know it from my friend - roman priest/
so now we have a lot roman catholic bishops , archbishop in Poland and in Easter countries /especially in Ukraine/

iN lVIV ARE TWO huge churches Katedral church near Rynok square , and ST ANTHONY church in Lyczakiv region , where they serve Mass in ukrainian , and russian language /there are not too much people of polish origin , so they try to involved ukrainians
I do not understand it ? What purpose of A.Bishop Mokrzycki , he rather must think about how to serve those people , who are visiting Cathedral church , does he think who will give money for taxes ,electricity... and others
I read few monthes ago article in nespaper about polish parishes in Ukraine , how they have big problems with peoples , who visit this churches , only old peoples ,the youngs are assimilated or imigrated to Poland , this perishes had good times when Pope was John Pole II , they received finacial help from Vatican ,
May be Lviv Latin Archibishop is too young to demand such things from such suffering in past his easter brothers in Christ
and must visit as Serge Keleher said , first of all, visit eastern region of Poland and a little study history of this region of last century
Thank you

C^ABA ICYCY XPUCTY !
So �cryanie�, it is nice to hear from a real Greek Catholic.

Have any BBC (babie babcha skazala) inroads to Slovakia? How is the Timkovic brothers doing? Are these PKs (preacher / priest kid) still Basilians or has their bishop relieved himself of them?

May Lviv Latin Archibishop see this map
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:EGZo9eWB3qkJ:lemko.org/lih/churchir/chirmain.html+map+of+greek+catholic+parishes+in+poland&hl=pl&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=pl
AND LOCALITIES , where our churches were or yet are
http://lemko.org/lih/churchir/index.html


Slava naviky Bohu Mykhayl , nice to meet you