Sheptytsky Beatification Process Moves Forward Ukrainian Insurgent
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INSIDE:• UPA veterans give accounts of their experiences — page 3. • Ukrainian American’s story of moving to Ukraine — page 12. • Conference focuses on Ukrainian folk life — page 13. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXXIV HE No.KRAINIAN 43 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2006 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine SheptytskyT beatificationU process moves forward Ukrainian InsurgentW Army veterans Religious Information Service of Ukraine means that, after appropriate positive assessment of the status of the historical mark anniversary of its founding KYIV – The most recent session of credibility and authenticity of the docu- the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian mentary materials gathered during the Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) report- long-lasting beatification process (on the ed that the beatification process for basis of archival documents and eyewit- Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, head of the UGCC from 1901 to 1944, is ness testimonies), the cause itself has moving forward in Rome. passed to the competency of those hold- Father Roman Terekhovskyi of the ing governing positions in the Roman UGCC’s Postulation Center, the vice-postu- Congregation for the Causes of Saints, lator for Metropolitan Sheptytsky’s cause, who should in an appropriate way assess commented on the latest developments, not- also the quality of the facts gathered in ing that Sheptytsky’s cause has gone to the this cause,” said Father Terekhovskyi. Vatican’s Theological Commission. According to Father Terekhovskyi, after UGCC Bishop Michael Hrynchyshyn, the commission confirms the fact of the head of the Synod’s Committee on metropolitan’s heroic virtues (de heroicitate Beatification and Canonization, said that virtutibus) throughout his life, his faith and this is a great step toward beatifying service to God and neighbor, his official Metropolitan Sheptytsky. The Synod met status will be designated “venerable,” on September 13-20 in Briukhovychi, which will make possible his recognition as near Lviv. a “blessed” of the Catholic Church. Iryna Cherepynska “The fact that the beatification cause Father Terekhovskyi added that a doc- UPA veterans listen to speeches delivered at St. Sophia Square on the 64th of Servant of God Metropolitan Andrey umented miraculous healing performed anniversary ceremony of their army’s founding. Sheptytsky was recently passed for fur- through the metropolitan’s intercession ther work to the special Theological will then allow his beatification. by Zenon Zawada Commission of the Congregation for the The beatification process for tioning them off rather than evict them. Causes of Saints in Rome formally Metropolitan Sheptytsky began in 1958. Kyiv Press Bureau Judge Natalia Buzhak reached her decision despite the fact that the patriotic KYIV – Ukrainian Insurgent Army groups had submitted their request on (UPA) veterans and thousands of their September 13, a full month ahead of the supporters succeeded in commemorating planned commemoration, which falls on the 64th anniversary of its founding on St. Mary the Protectress Day, a widely Memorial events in Washington October 14 without interference from observed Ukrainian holy day. hundreds of violent-prone agitators, Pro-Soviet forces submitted their recall ‘lonely hero’ Politkovskaya largely from the Communist and request only a week prior to the date. by Yaro Bihun ing and honoring Ms. Politkovskaya and her Progressive Socialist parties. Although they had a pretext of com- Special to The Ukrainian Weekly unrelenting effort to keep the tragedy and Although separate scuffles and fights memorating the 60th anniversary of the travesty of what the Russian government of broke out, more than 3,000 Kyiv police Nuremburg trials, their lawyers stated WASHINGTON — The “lonely hero,” President Vladimir Putin was doing to officers provided heavy security for the their intent was to prevent the UPA veter- as Zbigniew Brzezinski called journalist Chechnya from being forgotten. Ukrainian patriots, setting up metal bar- ans’ commemoration. Anna Politkovskaya, was honored here at Later, in the evening, there was a can- ricades and denying the agitators any The judge was merely carrying out two memorial events, nine days after she dlelight vigil in her memory in front of access to Independence Square, where President Viktor Yushchenko’s incoher- was murdered in Moscow on October 7. the Russian Embassy. the commemorative events began. ent politics, said Oleksander Bashuk, a The former national security advisor to “There is no heroism more impressive “Everything is in order, and there haven’t lawyer with the Svoboda political party. President Jimmy Carter was among those than lonely heroism,” Dr. Brzezinski been any confrontations,” Oleh Tiahnybok, who spoke at a memorial gathering at the the event’s leader, said during the commem- (Continued on page 4) National Endowment for Democracy, recall- (Continued on page 10) oration. “The provocateurs were sectioned off, and possibly even barred from entering Ukraine, since we were expecting provoca- U.S. government teurs and thugs from Russia.” Mr. Tiahnybok’s All-Ukrainian Union Svoboda, the leading nationalist force in adopts ‘Kyiv’ spelling Ukraine, organized the day’s events with the Kyiv Regional Brotherhood of the WASHINGTON – The U.S. Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists- Department of State reported that on Ukrainian Insurgent Army (OUN-UPA), October 3, the Board on Geographic which was formed to fight against both the Names (BGN) unanimously voted to German Nazi and Soviet Russian invaders change the BGN standard translitera- in order to secure Ukraine’s independence. tion of the name of the Ukrainian Though police provided the necessary capital to Kyiv. protection, the patriots had little support This decision affects the whole from the government, either on the U.S. government. The State national or the local level. Department noted: “Although ‘Kiev’ The prior day, a Kyiv district judge remains the BGN conventional name ruled that neither the patriots nor the pro- for this city, all State Department Soviet/pro-Russian demonstrators had the offices and operations are requested right to be on Independence Square, to immediately begin using the new which had been sealed off on October 14. spelling ‘Kyiv’ in all written com- The square had been the heavily pub- munication. The American diplomat- Yaro Bihun licized meeting place for the patriots ic post there will henceforth be Slain journalist Anna Politkovskaya is remembered during a candlelight vigil in who gathered there nevertheless, and riot called Embassy Kyiv.” front of the Russian Embassy in Washington on October 16. police opted to set up a barricade sec- 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2006 No. 43 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFS Two Viktors, but no clear winner NEWSBRIEFS UPA veterans seek combatants’ status Ukraine still needs to pass a dozen laws by Jan Maksymiuk Yanukovych against the backdrop of the and sign a bilateral trade accord with RFE/RL Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova Report Orange Revolution. They now seem to KYIV – A group of Ukrainian Kyrgyzstan in order to be ready for WTO have backfired, devolving into an institu- Insurgent Army (UPA) veterans and sev- entry. Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych The appointment in August of Viktor tional row between the two leaders. eral thousand sympathizers took to the urged Parliament on October 16 to move Yanukovych as Ukrainian prime minister The constitutional requirement that streets in Kyiv on October 14 to mark the quickly to pass the legislation that would left many speculating how he and his some presidential decrees should be co- 64th anniversary of the founding of the enable Ukraine to join the WTO early onetime rival, President Viktor signed by the prime minister and the UPA and demand official recognition as next year. (RFE/RL Newsline) Yushchenko, would work together. If ministers directly responsible for their war combatants for UPA fighters, Russia checks on Ukraine’s alcohol recent developments are any indication, implementation existed even before the Ukrainian and international news agen- the relationship still needs some work. 2004 reform. cies reported. The UPA was a nationalist The trouble began in earnest in guerrilla force that fought the Nazis as MOSCOW – Rospotrebnadzor, But in the era of former President Russia’s consumer rights watchdog, said September, when Mr. Yanukovych refused Leonid Kuchma, no prime minister – well as Soviet and Polish troops during to implement seven presidential decrees, on October 16 that it is carrying out checks including both Messrs. Yushchenko and World War II and immediately after it. arguing that they were issued without his of all alcohol imports from Ukraine, look- Yanukovych – ever invoked the attendant Several thousand policemen guarded the co-signature. Mr. Yanukovych, in return, ing for banned wines from Georgia and provision to question the legality of pres- rally in Kyiv against left-wing demon- demanded that President Yushchenko sack Moldova, international news agencies idential decisions. strators who unsuccessfully tried to break five regional governors loyal to the presi- reported. “We have reason to believe there Now, however, the situation is different. through police barriers and provoke dent. is some sort of agreement between these The constitutional reform, which took clashes. President Viktor Yushchenko Mr. Yushchenko later declined an invi- countries – including Ukraine, Belarus and effect on January 1, has shifted