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The Orthodox Appeal for recognition of the 1946 lviv ‘synod’ as a sham [risu.org.ua]

Seventy years ago - March 1946 - the Russian Communists in concert with the Russian Orthodox Church declared the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church illegal. They demanded that all bishops, clergy and women religious renounce their Catholic faith and join the Russian Orthodox Church. The thousands who refused were either deported to Siberian labor camps or murdered. Sacred items were pilfered before destroying the churches by wrecking ball and fire.
However, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was not destroyed but went underground and survived. The faithful gathered to worship secretly in private homes, barns and in deep forests. Today, seventy years later, this Church flourishes not only in Ukraine but throughout the world wherever Ukrainians reside simply because of undying faith and hope in Jesus Christ.
Sadly to this day, the Russian Orthodox Church refuses to admit to their inhumane treatment of Ukrainian Catholics, yet they call themselves Christian. Recently their leader, Patriarch Kirill, met face to face with Pope Francis yet did not acknowledge his Church's sins of the past. Apparently, there are hypocrits everywhere.
Glory to Jesus Christ - Long Live Ukraine!

Maybe because the total extinction of Christianity in the Middle East, as well as the abandonment of Christianity, thanks to secularism, in most parts of the civilized world was a more pressing issue than what happened seventy years ago in Ukraine and Russia. Sorry for sounding harsh. But when you hear about what is taking place in Syria, Iraq, etcc. Forced conversions or death to "another" faith, not the "same" faith. Most of Western Europe, the UK, as well as the USA don't even believe in God! And you think that the Orthodox/Byzantine Catholic issues of the past should be on the top of the priority list, when the Pope and Patriarch met. Really!

Remember if God goes away, in the west or Islam takes over as the dominant or ONLY faith in the Middle East. Than all the Orthodox /Ukrainian Catholic issues, mean absolutely nothing, and are irrelevant. Because Christianity will be irrelevant. And it will be just two "slavic" countries battling it out. That is how our secular society, in the future, will look at it. So instead of being like the Jews who keep on bringing up the Holocaust. Put it to rest and move forward. I care about the Catholic faith, and how to best express it in todays society not the clerical politics that go with it. Were all Christian. Do you think God is going to give one whoot if your a Ukrainian Catholic or a Russian Orthodox Christian.

Sorry for my rant!!. But in todays society we need Christians united, Both West and East. The past is the past. But the future can change for better or for worse. It is for us to decide.

Words of wisdom, I think. This forum can sometimes sound like two children bickering over who took whose toy in kindergarten. Give it a rest and move on. Yes, we have too many critical problems to deal with to dwell in the past.

A documentary film on the pseudo synod of Lviv of 1946.
Produced and written by Antoine Arjakovsky: link. [youtube.com]

The Monomachos blog has an article called http://www.monomakhos.com/whither-ukraine/ WHITHER UKRAINE? which tells the historical events leading up to this story. Their are several detailed comments by a Mr Michael Warren who appears to know in detail this particular history.