Head of the UGCC: It seems that politicians and authorities no longer hear civil society
Today in Ukrainian society we have a large part of sound and constructive forces that, just as in the time of the Maidan, organize themselves to protect their homeland, to help the needy. But we all need extremely a format through which together we could do it. It said the father and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Sviatoslav during the national forum "The transformation of Ukraine."
Speaking about the importance of dialogue between the authorities and society, the Primate of the Church said that today in Ukraine, we have to realize that the building up of the European Ukraine is a common cause of all our people. “It's not just the matter of government, not only of the politicians,” believes the head of the church. “This is a matter of our Ukrainian civil society. According to the old expression «res publica» - this is our common cause. I would like to recall the events that the European square and the Ukrainian house tell us about... Do you remember how Maidan began? There were two squares. One of them was political, in the European square, and the second was civic, on Maidan (the Independence square). And at some point the political parties folded their banners and turned to people.” According to Patriarch Sviatoslav, the time is coming for something similar to happen today.
Head of the UGCC believes that we now are in a great need of social dialogue on the construction of our country. “We see what the people have a feeling that both politicians and authorities no longer hear the civil society. Therefore, society speaks louder each time, sometimes even outcries. The forum exists so that we could, on the one hand, consolidate all the sound forces of Ukraine, on which all those willing to defend the statehood interests could rest, on the other hand, so we could have an opportunity of social dialogue between civil society, government and politicians. This forum is vital, especially when there is a vacuum of communication, which can be filled by some issues that may be destructive and very dangerous for the construction of the European Ukraine,” he said.
The patriarch expressed hope that this forum would become nationwide, increasingly involving sound forces into the construction of the Ukrainian society. “I would like that the opinions of civil society were heard by the government and our political forces. I am deeply convinced that our people have enough strength and desire to implement together the mandate of the Revolution of Dignity to build the European Ukraine,” concluded the Primate.
