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Slava Isusu Christu!


Dear Orthodox,

in the United States, Canada, and South America I believe most Ukranians prefer a Cardinal because like the Irish, Italians, and Poles, who preceded us we have arrived in the Catholic Church in this sense. The dispora is very proud to have a Cardinal, College, and grade school in Toronto named after Patriarch Slipyj. So in the Western Catholic sense we have came, seen, and conquered.

Were we run into trouble is we have five million Ukranian Greek Catholics in the Ukraine who want a Patriarch. The Church would like us to have a diologue with the Orthodox but we cannot even address our head by his proper title. If you are an Russian Orthodox priest wouldn't you be amused by addressing the head of the Ukranian Greek Church as a Cardinal? Is a Cardinal Byzantine?

My suggestion would be to have a Cardinal for the dispora and a Patriarch for the Ukraine itself. Of course the Patriarch would be the ultimate head, but would consult the Cardinal to gain the true pulse of what the dispora is concerned about. Before true diologue can begin we need to get our own house in order.

Slava Isusu Christu!

Dear Alex and Iperma,

a Patriarch is usually an elder Archbishop who is the head of our church. The term denotes a definitive rank in the heirarchy. They are only subject to Rome and hold rank over Bishops/Metropolitans.

The term Patriarch means father or chief of a race, clan, or family.

The heads of the twelve tribes of Isreal are referred to as Patriarchs.

On a practical day to day level the Patriarch only becomes involved during Bishops confrences, administration and issues facing the whole church, and usually lets the local Bishops/Metropolitans handle matters in their own region while keeping a supervisory role. In other words if a Bishop/Metroplitan is a tyrant, the Patriarch steps in and corrects the situation.

Patriarch is just that, Pater, Papa, Tato, Daddy, for all of his people, homeland, diaspora, the Moon, wherever. Period. He's our man.

Ipriema, in both the Stamford and Chicago eparchies he is commemorated as Patriarch. I can't speak for Parma but imagine it is the same there. I think almost all of Canada does the same.

Of course under Bishop Isidore in Toronto, who was a close friend of Patriarch Josyp, the Toronto Eparchy was probably the first in North America to proclaim him as patriarch liturgically in North America. Once again Alex, you guys blaze the trail!

Dear Diak,

Ah, but you and Steven and Ipreima don't know the half of it!

Yes, officially the main parishes in our Eparchy commemorated Patriarch Slipyj - there was interparochial strife over it.

The religious Orders never commemorated him as such and one Basilian priest wanted to avoid the whole controversy by simply praying for "Our Pope and the Hierarchy of our Church."

Bishop Isidore sometimes apparently avoided calling Patriarch Slipyj a "Patriarch" and when I wrote an article praising our Bishop for his steadfast defence of Slipyj, patriarchal organizations outside our Eparchy jumped on me with both feet to tell me the superlatives weren't wholly deserved . . .

On the other hand, the group that brow-beat me were trying to take over the patriarchal movement in our Eparchy, so they had their own agenda.

Then we had priests who, instead of "His Beatitude" referred to Pat. Josef as "His Holiness" and the "patriots" among us praised the latter more highly.

The fact remains that no other Church, including Rome, recognizes our Primate as a Patriarch and that many parishes within our Church wouldn't commemorate him as such either because Rome hasn't given the go-ahead.

Patriarch Lybomyr's attitude seems to emphasize Roman recognition of the patriarchal status of our Church. One reason for that is because he is well acquainted with the internal strife the lack of that recognition has caused our Church in the past. Another is that there is a certain problem with telling the world you are a Patriarch in letters and than having people write you back as "Cardinal" because they look your title up in the Vatican directory . . .

Alex

Dear Friends,

I came across an interesting project for children on the UGCC website. I suppose that the winning entries might be posted in the future.

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Patriarch Slipyj Children's Contest Starts In Ternopil

25.11, [09:20] // News // UGCC Info

A city contest for the best piece of art created by children, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, was launched in western Ukrainian Ternopil on 20 November 2002.

Among the organizers of the contest were the municipal Department of Education and local educational and catechetical institutions.

Children aged from 6 to 18 were invited to present their paintings and literary works, illustrating the life of Patriarch Slipyj.

Winners will be selected in the literary, scholarly and artistic crafts nominations. The jury is expected to name the winners in early December.

Source: Radio “Ternopil” 106.1 FM.

Dear Friend in Christ,

I still have my letter from Patriarch Josef the Hieroconfessor thanking me for my article about his life I wrote when he was still alive.

I guess that disqualifies me from entering this contest?

Alex

Very interesting discussion about Patriarch Josyf.
I had the opportunity to personally meet Patriarch Josyf while he was on a visit to Saskatchewan and to kiss the hand of an unwavering witness to the Gospel of Christ. My uncle was a student in the seminary of which Fr. Josyf was rector.
Patriarch Josyf was the first head of the UGCC to publicly ascribe to himself the title of patriarch and would use this title as part of his signature. It's unfortunate that some (many?) Ukrainian Catholics (hierarchy and faithful) did not support him in this. He was a man of vision,a man who knew what he was talking about (because he had walked the walk)and a man with a great love for the people and the Church.

His Testament is a great work. Everyone should get a copy and read it carefully. He minces no words in his attempt to put his beloved UGCC faithful on the true path.
May the Lord give blessed rest to his soul.

Dcn Yurij

Dear Alex,

As Babci used to tell me, "I learn something every day." As long as you are learning something, you are still a student. And the contest is for students.

Keep on learning, my friend.

John
Pilgrim and Odd Duck

Dear Friends,

How great is this!

Patriarch Josef's vision for the U.G.C.C. is starting to come to frutation.

With Patriarch Lubomyr being commerated as Patriarch in all our parishes we may see one Unified Church yet.

Steven

Dear Steven,

But with the Catholic-Orthodox dialogue resuming, having been broken in 2000 over the Eastern CAtholic Churches, how likely is it that Rome will recognize our Patriarchate?

Not that we should care any more, mind you . . .

Alex

Dear Alex,

In Orthodoxy Patriarch Lubomyr is already on an equal basis as the Pope.

Why should we care if Rome recognises are Patriarchate or not? As long as we recognize and commerate him as Patriarch, he is Patriarch.

With 3 other Orthodox Patriarchates in Ukraine.... I can safely say there is room for a fourth.

Food for thought,

Steven

+ Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!

Dear Steven,

You are right, of course.

But Patriarch Lubomyr would like Rome to acknowledge the fact of our Patriarchate. Unfortunately, that is the way the Catholic Church is currently set up and even in Orthodoxy, our Patriarchate would be regarded as needed acknowledgement as such from the other Patriarchs.

The multiplication of Patriarchates is silliness and stupidity on the Ukies' part. Chalk it up to not having a long-standing tradition of state organization or whatever.

Or even to the fact that our people's mentality is that of the independent middle class, owing to our Kozak history.

There are any number of excuses one may come up with . . .

But, yes, we can stand a few more Patriarchates - why not? "Rome and roome enough" as Shakespeare wrote.

The Armenians have several Patriarchates but they defer to the Catholicos in Etchmiadzin.

Now there's a thought!

Instead of trying to get the new Patriarchs to resign, why not select a "Catholicos-Patriarch" among them to reside in Kyiv and then appoint the others, under him, to different locales around the world.

One could have one for North America and could reside in New York or Winnipeg.

Perhaps the Armenian model is our ecclesial salvation?

Alex

Dear Alex,

May I just say the Armenian model is a great model!

I believe instead of looking for formal unity, we should start building up trust with the various Churches in Ukraine.

I am pretty sure that the Ukie Catholic Church could act as a good mediator(When asked of course ) in the region.

I agree with you, Patriarch Lubomyr is not leaving union with Rome. But he does have some intrigueing options if he chose to exercise them.

Steven

Dear Steven,

Yes, but he will have to have the gumption to proceed without Rome's approval.

Ultimately, Rome should be treated as "out there" but having no real relevance for our daily lives as Particular Churches.

The problem is that we have people for whom being Catholic is a "real Yoke" (Roman that is).

And they have no sense of what being a Particular Church really is about.

They are Roman Catholics with "funny" accoutrements that they use in their worship.

We don't need the Eastern Curia, or Roman canon law, or other intrusions into our Churches.

When we start to think with "our own heads," then we can move ahead.

Alex

Dear Alex,

If you ask me Patriarch Lubomyr is sitting in the middle of the fence.

Having all Churches commerate him as Patriarch was a good first step.

But now is the time for him to stop caring what Rome and Moscow would like him to do. He is our Patriarch, with our full support. He does not NEED TO ASK ALL MAJOR RELIGIONS what his title and role should be as Patriarch.

We are a Particular Church with a Patriarch we have elected through our own Bishops. Ultimately, it is up to us to clean our own house up and proceed with our own plans.

Steven