Patriarch Lubomyr: Question of Recognition of Repressions against UGCC Can Become Political Game
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Lubomyr, warned against turning the consideration of the bill on recognition of the UGCC as a repressed church by the Supreme Council into a "political game." The patriarch stressed that such an important question for the Church should be considered at a time of political peace.
"I am afraid that this law will become a political game because of the time at which it is being considered, as well as many other laws. These are quite political maneuvers and, therefore, such a serious law on recognition should be considered at a time of political peace, as it requires serious meditation. And I am afraid lest this and other laws should become a political game," he stressed.
AS RISU reported earlier, the draft resolution on granting the UGCC the status of a repressed church was submitted to the consideration of the Supreme Council of Ukraine on 8 September. Resolution 7104 was registered by deputies of Yulia Tymoshenko's Motherland faction, V. Derevlianyi and D. Shlemko. So reported the press service of the Supreme Council.
The draft resolution will be considered by the Committee on Culture and Spirituality.
From 1946 to 1989, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) was the largest prohibited church in the world. However, the church was active in the underground during the whole period. Thousands of faithful and clergymen of the UGCC underwent persecutions and repressions.
During his visit to Ukraine, Pope John Paul II beatified 27 UGCC martyrs for the faith who suffered during that period.
The Institute of Church History of the Ukrainian Catholic University gathered hundreds of testimonies of witnesses of the mentioned events, their friends and family members as part of the Project "Oral History." All the materials testify that the UGCC was cruelly persecuted by the authorities.
