Ukrainian Greek Catholic Head and Roman Catholic Metropolitan of Lviv Take Part in General Assembly of Bishops' Conferences of Europe
The annual General Assembly of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE) was held in Bratislava, Slovakia. Attending from Ukraine were the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Archbishop of Lviv Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki or the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eparch of Mukachevo Milan Shashik.
For four days (October 3-6) the Catholic hierarchs of Europe and members of the CCEE discussed the topic “God and the State. Europe between Secularity and Secularism.” In Bratislava, the bishops spoke about how religion and God are represented, acknowledged, and actively present in the Constitution, the legal system, and society in Europe.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that for Christians in Ukraine this issue is very important on the eve of the EU-Ukraine Summit that will be held in Vilnius. According to Patriarch Sviatoslav, holding this forum shows that “Europe’s Christianity is healthy and therefore it is not necessary to be afraid of it.”
The head of the UGCC stressed that “it is impossible to stop the advancement of secularism, which changes the relationship of a person to another person and of a person to God. Therefore, if Christian Catholics together consider these issues, they will be able to transform not only the face of a united Europe, but also lay the foundation for the new society that is emerging.” In addition, they can “help modern Europe discover its common roots.”
In his speech at the opening of the General Assembly, CCEE President Cardinal Peter Erdo said that “to a certain extent we live in a paradoxical reality. On the one hand, culture and faith, which are deeply rooted in ancient Christian tradition, are present today in Europe. And on the other hand, we are witnessing how the Christian heritage is being increasingly rejected and how as a consequence there is a search for other ‘forms of unity.’” The president of the CCEE said that a “’healthy’ separation between church and state is necessary, but it does not mean complete eradication of the religious aspect of society; rather, it requires the recognition of freedom of both individuals and the society as a whole.”
It was decided to hold this year's conference in Slovakia to mark the 1,150th anniversary of the “bringing” of Christianity by Sts. Cyril and Methodius to the Slovak land. Chair of the Episcopal Conference of Slovakia Stanislav Zvolenský called his fellow Slavic educators pillars of the Slovak Church, and said that “our affiliation with the Catholic Church and our faith are based on the courageous ministry of these two representatives of the church.”
During October 3-6, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, along with other heads of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, met with President of Ivan Gašparovič, Prime Minister Robert Fitz, and other representatives of the secular and religious leadership of the state, the Information Department of the UGCC informs.
