The Ukrainian Weekly 1985, No.3
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www.ukrweekly.com Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian Weekly Vol. Llll No.3 . THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 20,1985 25 cents Clandestine Catholic chronicle in Ukraine: an analysis 100 young Catholics by Ivan Hvat Witnesses and Seventh Day Adventists. served with the German Army and was The Chronicle describes the activities of arrested by Soviet counterintelligence protest demolition At the beginning of 1984, Ukrainian these believers in Ukraine, gives in 1945, Mr. Wallenberg was Catholics (Uniates) in western Ukraine accounts of repressive measures taken transferred from a camp in the Norilsk began their own samvydav publication, against them, and names the camps or area to a Kazan psychiatric hospital after of Ukrainian monastery the Chronicle of the Catholic Church in psychiatric hospitals in which Stalin's death. The last time Bogdanas JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Some 100 the Ukraine. individual believers are confined. saw Wallenberg was in 1962. young Ukrainian Catholic believers The first three issues have appeared in The journal devotes considerable The Chronicle reports an marched to protest the demolition of a the Arkhiv Samizdata series of Radio attention to the socio-political situation intensification of the campaign to former monastery in Borynia in the Liberty, while the texts of issues Nos. 7 in Ukraine. Thus, in the second issue extend the study of the Russian Carpathian mountain region, according and 8 are in the hands of the Glaube in there is a report on the situation of language in the schools of to U.S. government sources. der zweiten Welt Institute in Rumanians in the Transcarpathian Transcarpathian Ukraine and also Although details of the incident Switzerland. They have been published Oblast. If a Rumanian born in the mentions the arrests of Ukrainian remain very sketchy, the sources said in Ukrainian in the journal Visti z Transcarpathian Ukraine moves to officers in the Transcarpathian Military that the demonstration, which took Rymu. Moldavia, "they alter his pass District for alleged participation in an place in June, apparently caused local The Chronicle is published by the port and write in 'Moldavian.' " attempt on the life of the late USSR authorities to temporarily stop razing Action Group for the Defense of the The text is also given of a joint Minister of Defense Dmitri Ustinov. the structure. Rights of Believers and the Church, declaration of a Rumanian revival The third issue of the Chronicle The monastery had been closed for which was set up on September 9, 1982. group and the Ukrainian National contains the text of a letter from Yosyf some time, the sources said, and all the In view of the systematic destruction Front declaring that they will "together Terelia to Lech Walesa in which he religious objects and icons had been of the human-rights movement in wrest our freedom from under the heel praises "the steadfastness and courage removed. There was no information Ukraine over the last 12 years, it might of Moscow." of the leaders of the workers' movement about arrests or other actions during the be thought that the appearance of the The second issue of the Chronicle and the Catholic Church in Poland." He actual protest. Chronicle of the Catholic Church in the also describes;the wretched conditions goes on to write Sources also reported that a former Ukraine in Ukrainian samvydav carrie under which gypsies live in "^ftce"we have chosen to fight, it monastery in the Lviv oblast had been as something of a surprise, but this is Transcarpathian Ukraine, where the means that we have chosen the good. To converted to a museum of atheism, but not really' so. Of late, the religious and police refer to them derisively as "the do good is no easy thing; first, it means no other information such as when or in human-Zights activities of Catholics in Red Indians of Transcarpathia." overcoming the egoism in oneself and what town this occurred was provided. western Ukraine have been stepped up following the teachings of Jesus — love Wallenberg case Of late, more information has be considerably. As early as 1982, everybody and respect and defend one's come available about thecontinued spokesmen for this movement made it One interesting item concerns the own. Second, it means the solidarity of persecution of the Ukrainian Catholic known that samvydav materials about Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg, all Christians. A solidarity that the Church, which has been functioning the situation of the Catholic Church in who disappeared during the occupation present rulers in Moscow fear so much." underground since 1946. when it was the Ukraine were being prepared for of Budapest by the Red Army in Most of the information contained in illegally united with the Russian Ortho . transmission to the West. January 1945. According to A. the Chronicle relates to the lives of dox Church by an unsanctioned synod Years of abortive demands by Bogdanas, a Lithuanian Catholic who (Continued on page 2) staged by Communist authorities. ""believers that the authorities in Ukraine legalize the activities of the Ukrainian НИШШ Catholic Church in western Ukraine ^L-`brpught about the emergence of an | organized human-rights movement 146-unit seniors' residence opened in Warren О among believers. It was probably in WARREN, Mich. - The 146-unit the activities center on Saturday Ukrainian music and carols, guests were early 1982 that the Central Committee senior citizens residence known as the evening. Such remarks as "country club treated to a delightful hospitality table of Ukrainian Catholics was formed and Ukrainian Village was officially opened setting," "looks like a Ukrainian prepared by chapters 58,80, and 5 of the Yosyf Terelia was elected its chairman. here with a gala grand opening at the Hilton" and "classy" reflected the Ukrainian National Womens League of On September 9, 1982, the Action complex's activities center on Saturday. atmosphere of incoming guests. Christ America, Detroit Regional Council. At Group for the Defense of the Rights of December 15, and with a blessing and mas trees and yuletide adornments 7 p.m., the lobby doors were opened to Believers and the Church was set up. open house reception the following day. tastefully embellished the spacious the Activities Center and guests had An enthusiastic capacity throng of lobby, and a spirit of brotherhood and their first glimpse of a stylish banquet Response to repression more than 200 people provided the joy dominated the scene. With Andrew hall. backdrop for a grand opening held at Stasiw at the keyboards providing (Continued on page 10) In a statement about the formation of the Action Group addressed to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Ukraine, Mr. Terelia wrote: "This was the response of Ukrainian Catholics to increasing repression against our Church. From now on all information about the Ukrainian Catholic Church will be passed on for scrutiny by the world public. The Catholics of the world should know and remember in what conditions we exist." Against this background, the appearance of the Chronicle of the Ukrainian Catholic Church comes as no surprise but represents a logical development in the circumstances. The contents of the first three issues of the Chronicle are very varied. Most of the material deals with the life of believers - Catholics, Orthodox, Baptists, Pentecostals, Jehovah's The Ukrainian VMage seniors' residence in Warren^ Mfch. 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 1985 No. 3 Repentants (pokutnyky), or "Neo- Details revealed of case Clandestine Catholic...Uniates. " The Uniate Repentants (Continued from page 1) believe that they must do penance "for members of the banned Ukrainian the misfortunes of Ukraine, refuse to against Vladimir Poresh Catholic Church. Official Soviet work for the slate if that state is not sources do not conceal the fact that the Ukrainian, throw away their MUNICH - Details have emerged activity of this Church has not ceased in documents, and so forth." about the case of Russian Orthodox the western oblasts of Ukraine. Indeed, The Uniate Repentants movement activist Vladimir Poresh, who last it has gained strength,, and the campaign came into being at the end of 1954 in the October became the first known of the state authorities against village of Seredneye in the Kalush political prisoner to have his sentence Ukrainian Catholics has also been Raion of the lvano-Frankivske Oblast. extended under a new Soviet law, stepped up, particularly since the The Repentants claim that the Virgin reported USSR News Brief here. election of Polish Cardinal Wojtyla as Mary appeared near the village on Mr. Poresh, a 34-year-old historian, head of the Roman Catholic Church. December 20, 1954. (It should be re was just one day short of completing a called that on December 22. 1954 the five-year labor camp term and begin Increased resistance Catholic Church observed the cen serving three years in exile when he waj tenary of the proclamation of the dogma arrested last September in labor camp On the basis of the contents of the Chronicle, it can be stated without of the Immaculate Conception of the No. 35 near Perm. He was moved to Virgin Mary.) Chistopol Prison and charged with exaggeration that the resistance of the Article 188-3 of the Russian SFSR Ukrainian Catholics to persecution has Leaving aside the views of Catholic Criminal Code, "malicious violation of stiffened and taken some unusual theology on this question, it should be the regime of detention in a corrective forms. The first issue of the Chronicle, borne in mind that during the Soviet labor institution." for example, reports: period rumors of various mircales had circulated among believers in Ukraine The law, which was adopted in "520 Ukrainian Catholics burned their passports and refused to have any even earlier, particularly in the 1920s.