Posted on 03/04/2004 1:47:02 AM PST by Tantumergo
The Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has made it clear that he will continue to press for the recognition of a Ukrainian patriarchate, despite opposition from Orthodox prelates.
In a statement formally released by the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar asked the faithful to pray and fast for the recognition of a Ukrainian patriarchate, saying that it would be a positive and natural development in the life of the Eastern-rite Church.
The Major Archbishop-- the leader of the largest Byzantine-rite community in union with Rome-- said that the plea for recognition of a Ukrainian patriarchate represents a consensus long held by his flock. "We chose this path long ago," he said; "and it reflects the clear will of the People of God of our Church." He recalled that the explicit petition for recognition of a patriarchate was first introduced by Cardinal Josyf Slipjy, his predecessor as head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, during the Second Vatican Council.
Cardinal Husar remarked that many Byzantine-rite Catholics were "troubled, and to some extent indignant" when they heard that Cardinal Walter Kasper (bio - news) had traveled to Moscow to discuss the possible Ukrainian patriarchate with leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church. The Ukrainian prelate expressed his own misgivings that "a matter of internal development of our Church was discussed-- not in Kiev, Lviv, or Rome, but in Moscow, and still more importantly without our participation!"
While he said that the consultation with the Orthodox hierarchy was "a delicate gesture on the part of the Pope," Cardinal Husar insisted that the Ukrainian Church has the right under canon law to "develop in accordance with its ecclesial nature."
The Major Archbishop also stressed that the Ukrainian Church is both fully Catholic and fully Byzantine. He said:
A distinctive feature of our Church is that, though it received its ecclesiastical formation from Byzantium, it was and always sought to be in communion with the successor of St. Peter the Apostle, the bishop of Rome. Our ancestors stressed this as early as at the Union of Brest at the end of the 16th century. The Ukrainian prelate lamented the hostility with which Orthodox leaders had responded to the discussion of a new patriarchate. The public statements by some Orthodox prelates, he said, sounded "like ultimatums and verging on blackmail," adding that their angry statements could be taken as "a personal insult to the Holy Father." Cardinal Husar concluded that "the Orthodox churches are not prepared to resolve historic contradictions by considering the legitimate needs of all parties concerned."
In spite of the Orthodox opposition, the Major Archbishop said that he remained hopeful for the recognition of a patriarchate. He reminded his Byzantine flock that Pope John Paul II (bio - news) has often shown his admiration for the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and has thrown his support behind the legitimate aspirations of the Byzantine Church on several occasions since the Ukrainian Catholic hierarchy was restored after the fall of Communism.
Such an analysis would take up more than its fare share of any post and is likely to turn people off before it even started.
Trying to present a skewed picture of this issue by quoting only one side of the interested parties is distorting the issue and misleading the readers by its overt bias.
Cardinal Kasper is always up to something, and it's never something good. When one thinks of Kasper, the names that come to mind are Hiss, Rosenberg, Philby, etc. And what a coincidence, Kasper is spending time in Moscow.
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