Greek Catholic Bishop Venedykt: Culture of Alcoholism Covered Whole Society

The subcommittee For a Sober Life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has marked its fifth anniversary and summed up the results of the work for that period. On October 29, in the conference-hall of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, a meeting was held on that occasion with the participation of the workers of the subcommittee, priests, psychologists working with alcoholics in the parishes according to the method of spiritual therapy and representatives of the brotherhoods of soberness.

In his address to the participants of the meeting, Auxiliary Bishop Venedykt (Aleksiichuk) of the Lviv Archeparchy of UGCC, stressed the importance of soberness. “A culture of drinking has been formed which is not easy to overcome. The culture of alcoholism has covered the whole society as a fog. To change that mentality, that conscience a great lot of efforts, work and time is needed,” noted the bishop.

“The problem of alcoholic addiction is often connected with immaturity of the personality. An immature person is not able to handle various life circumstances and escapes to the unreal world in that way,” stressed Bishop Venedykt.

It was reported by the head of the subcommittee, Doctor of Theology, Andrii Lohin at the meeting that since 2009, the subcommittee cooperated with over 11 thousand people. The priests and psychologists conducting the mission of soberness visited 150 settlements, organized over 200 consultations, 96 addicted people underwent rehabilitation according to the method of spiritual therapy in three consultative-educational centers in Lviv, Stryi, Ternopil.