Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church Meets in Winnipeg
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INSIDE: l Feodosiya Velihurska recalls UPA experience – page 4 l Nil Khasevych: UPA artist – page 11 l Ukelodeon: Plast youth visit Spirit Lake – page 19 THEPublished U by theKRAINIAN Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal W non-profit associationEEKLY Vol. LXXX No. 42 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012 $1/$2 in Ukraine Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church meets in Winnipeg UGCC WINNIPEG, Manitoba – Thirty-eight bishops from Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Australia, countries of Central and Western Europe, and South America – including emeritus bishops from Europe, North America, Canada and Argentina – participated in the 2012 Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) held in Canada to mark the cente- nary of the arrival in that country of the first Ukrainian bishop, Nykyta Budka. Hierarchs of the UGCC from around the world came to Canada to celebrate this spe- cial jubilee together with the Archeparchy of Winnipeg. Bishop Budka arrived in Winnipeg in 1912 to serve as the sole bish- op for Ukrainian immigrants from coast to coast. He is titled “Blessed” because he was beatified as one of the 27 new martyrs rec- Nobert Iwan ognized by Pope John Paul II in 2001 during Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (with clergy and guest archbishops from the Ukrainian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches) stand before Ss. Volodymyr and Olha Cathedral in Winnipeg, just prior to the opening of their synod. his visit to Ukraine. After serving 15 years as bishop in Canada, Bishop Budka returned Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky. His relics were The official opening of the Episcopal sentations were made that shed light on the to Ukraine only to later suffer arrest and transferred here shortly after his beatifica- Synod took place the following day in biblical and theological foundation of the martyrdom under the Soviet regime. tion by Pope John Paul II in 2001. The Winnipeg at the solemn celebration of the vocation and mission of the laity, the histor- The Synod of Bishops of the UGCC – the Synod fathers served a Moleben to the Holy hierarchical divine liturgy in the Metropolitan ical context for the development of lay first ever to be held in Canada – convened in Spirit and also prayed at the tomb of the Cathedral of Ss. Volodymyr and Olha. Also movements in the UGCC and the activity of and around Winnipeg on September 9-16. blessed bishop and martyr. It was there that attending were guest bishops, priests and the laity in the parishes of the UGCC today. On September 8, the bishops of the UGCC they took an oath for the fulfillment of their deacons, women religious and laypersons. The results of surveys of the laity with visited the Church of St. Joseph, which also duties and to maintain confidentiality During his homily, Patriarch Sviatoslav, regard to their views on their role in the life houses the shrine of the Hieromartyr about the synodal proceedings. the head of the UGCC, greeted everyone on and mission of the Church were also pre- the occasion of the 100-year jubilee of the sented, as was the theme of the liturgical appointment and arrival of the Blessed life of a parish. Hieromartyr Budka, the first Ukrainian During discussions of the presentations New USAID building opened in Kyiv Catholic bishop in Canada. He noted that the bishops acknowledged the dedication with the arrival of the first bishop came the and sacrifice of the laity of the UGCC and their establishment in Canada of a Ukrainian role in the preservation of the faith in the dif- Catholic hierarchy with its own structure ficult socio-political circumstances of the 20th and its own eastern Christian identity. century. The bishops emphasized the impor- The patriarch also invited everyone pres- tance of the laity’s role and noted that atten- ent to be conscious of the unity of the tion must be given to the spiritual care and Ukrainian Catholic Church, remembering that pastoral care of the family, as well as the they are members of “a great family of God, a catechization of children, youth and adults. family that remembers you, loves you, wants Following the plenary sessions, the to support you and asks for your support.” fathers of the Synod worked in thematic Present at the opening of the Synod groups on the role of the laity and then made were the Roman Catholic archbishop of a series of decisions designed to help the Winnipeg, James Weisgerber, representing laity better appreciate their mission in the the Canadian Conference of Catholic Church. The bishops proclaimed Blessed Bishops and Metropolitan Archbishop Yurij Volodymyr Pryjma as the patron of laity of (Kalishchuk) of the Ukrainian Orthodox the Ukrainian Catholic Church and encour- Church of Canada, which is in communion aged all the faithful to promote the venera- with the Patriarch of Constantinople. tion of the lay saints of the Ukrainian Church. The working sessions of the Synod An important part of the strategy of the Vladimir Gontar/UNIAN began on Monday, September 10. In his UGCC through the year 2020 is the adapta- KYIV – U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John F. Tefft (right), USAID-Ukraine Director addresses on the first day of the synod, tion of the ancient practice of the Jed Barton (left) and Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Europe and Patriarch Sviatoslav analyzed the past and Catechumenate for the Church’s contempo- Eurasia Paige Alexander (center) officially open the new USAID building in Kyiv present state of development of the UGCC, rary pastoral needs, which will consist of October 2. The building is located on the premises of the U.S. Embassy compound tasks that the UGCC must take up, as well as gradual and systematic introduction into at 4 Aircraft Designer Igor Sikorsky St. The USAID office in Kyiv manages pro- internal and external challenges that can the mystery of the Christian faith for adults grams for Ukraine, Belarus, and Moldova. As noted by the Embassy of Ukraine, an present obstacles to the Church in the ful- who desire to become part of the UGCC. information fair by USAID and Embassy Public Affairs Section partners provided fillment of its sacred mission. This will be accomplished through the holy a look at past and current U.S. assistance in Ukraine to mark the opening of the The next day the Synod focused atten- sacraments of Christian initiation, and also new USAID facility, as well as the 20th Anniversary of the Freedom for Russia and Emerging [Eurasian] Democracies and Open Markets Act, or FREEDOM Support tion on the principal theme of “The Role of by a deepening of the faith of baptized Act, which authorized the United States to provide assistance to the newly indepen- the Laity in the Life and Mission of the dent states of the former Soviet Union. Church.” A number of talks and joint pre- (Continued on page 17) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2012 No. 42 ANALYSIS Ukraine to keep cutting Yanukovych: EU pressure unacceptable only in August that these prices started to rise.” The expert noted that the current KYIV – President Viktor Yanukovych, campaign is the most massive by volume of Russian gas imports in 2013 addressing delegates to the 11th meeting advertising and communication elements. of heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic “For one thing, there are more than 5,500 by Oleg Varfolomeyev gas of its own (Interfax-Ukraine, September missions, said: “We have always carefully 15). This is in line with the optimistic candidates, plus the information environ- Eurasia Daily Monitor analyzed and will analyze all signals from ment has increased compared to 2007. national draft energy strategy compiled by our partners of the European Union. And Ukraine has indicated that a cut in the Energy Ministry, according to which gas Therefore, all together they create much we will respond to them, but I have often greater ‘information noise.’ But due to the Russian natural gas purchases will be deep- imports should be cut to as little as 5 bcm said that we do not accept any forms of er next year than expected thus far, to 24.5 by 2030. And Kyiv hints that even this little fact that the advertising market after the pressure on Ukraine.” Therefore, the presi- crisis has not yet reached the scope of 2007, billion cubic meters (bcm). This means that amount might be imported from Azerbaijan dent stressed, “We say that we act only Ukrainian gas imports from Russia will be or Qatar rather than Russia. I do not think it will be greater in money within the law, not within any emotionally terms,” Mr. Bidenko said. (Ukrinform) below contractual volumes for the third Ukraine has already started to take steps motivated political cases, and this should year in a row, for which Ukraine may be in that direction. Visiting Turkish Prime be realized.” According to October 3 press Law on video surveillance at polls Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly punished according to the take-or-pay reports, Mr. Yanukovych noted that, if clause in the 2009 contract between agreed to allow tankers loaded with LNG KYIV – National deputies on October 3 Ukraine does not get free of the dirt that Gazprom and the national oil and gas com- for Ukraine to pass through the Turkish passed a law on the installation of a surveil- accumulated over years and decades, it will pany Naftohaz Ukrainy. Ukraine is cutting straits (zn.ua, September 14). lance system at polling stations that will be not move forward. He said that for years gas imports saying that it cannot afford to Meanwhile, domestic gas consumption used during the voting and counting of Ukraine had corrupt officials, who left a lot pay the prices set by Russia, but Moscow was cut by 7 percent and gas imports by 39 votes in the upcoming parliamentary elec- of problems behind them.