Pope Concludes Historic Visit to Ukraine

INSIDE:• Ukraine simplifies registration for foreigners — page 3. • Ecomony of Ukraine shows significant growth — page 3. • A special section on the papal visit — pages 8-17. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXIX HE KRAINIANNo. 26 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2001 EEKLY$1/$2 in Ukraine POPET CONCLUDESU HISTORIC VISITW TO UKRAINE by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV, LVIV – For five days, Pope John Paul II, the leader of nearly 1 bil- lion faithful of the Catholic Church, visited his 6-million-strong flock in Ukraine in a trip that, in the end, surpassed all expectations. It left an indelible mark on the millions who came out to see him, as well as on his relations with the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church that has been in communion with the Vatican See for just over 500 years. It was the 94th visit in the 24 years of the papacy of the Polish holy father, but one that his personal secretary called “a long held dream,” one which he had talked about for “11, 12, even 14 years.” In many ways it was a trip home. Although Pope John Paul II was not born in Ukraine, his Ukrainian mother was born outside of Drohobych. And while this was his first trip to Ukraine as the head of the Catholic Church, he had spent time in the western part of the country in his youth and had been stationed there during his military service. Nearly 3 million people, the faithful and the curious, saw the aging and frail AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko holy father during a youth rally and at Pope John Paul II and Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, bless the faithful upon four divine liturgies – twice celebrated in the pontiff’s arrival at the Lviv Hippodrome on Wednesday, June 27. the Latin Rite and twice in the Byzantine Rite. People came from all over the world: Ukrainians from Australia, Canada and the United States, along with Greeted as head of state in Kyiv Joyously welcomed by faithful in Lviv hundreds of thousands of Poles and thousands of Belarusian and Russians, by Roman Woronowycz by Roman Woronowycz Germans, Hungarians, Romanians, Kyiv Press Bureau Kyiv Press Bureau Czechs, Slovaks, and two Congolese KYIV – Pope John Paul II arrived in Kyiv on June 23 for LVIV – If the Kyiv portion of the papal visit to Ukraine largely who happened to have been in Kyiv at the beginning of his first visit to Ukraine with all the pomp had to do with the often difficult politics of religion and state, the the time. and circumstance afforded a head of state, but also as the Lviv end of the trip became a series of warm and relaxed encoun- The unstable weather that followed spiritual leader of 6 million Roman and Greek-Catholic ters with those who had waited for years to greet a man they truly Pope John Paul II on his five-day trip faithful. respect, admire and in many cases lionize. through Ukraine – rapidly developing The journey came amidst continued and vociferous protest thunderstorms and cold rain quickly On the evening of June 25, Pope John Paul II arrived at Lviv followed by sunshine and warmth – in and denunciations of the visit from the Ukrainian Orthodox Airport, where he received an official welcome from local and many ways quite accurately marked Church – Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which is under regional dignitaries before being whisked away in his popemobile his visit to Kyiv and Lviv and the vari- the aegis of the Russian Orthodox Church. It was criticism to the eager masses awaiting him on the cobblestone streets of this ous ways people responded to it. The that would continue throughout the pope’s five days in the medieval town, which dates from the 14th century. visit, like the weather, was a mix of country. Lvivians replaced the cool reception the pope received in Kyiv stormy spots and bright sunny The pope attempted to resolve the matter in his first address with warmth and exuberance. Tens of thousands waved, sang, moments. to the Ukrainian people. After being greeted by Ukraine’s screamed and cried as the popemobile first stopped at the historic His calls for ecumenism and unity; President Leonid Kuchma and a host of religious and state dig- Armenian Church in the old section and then at the Polish his praise for the leaders and faithful of nitaries, Pope John Paul II, frail and hunched over, holding his Cathedral before traveling to St. George Cathedral, where the holy the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church speech with hands shaking from Parkinson’s disease, said that father spent the evening. for surviving the persecution and he wants “dialogue and cooperation.” The next morning’s scenes at the site of the first religious service bloodletting of the Soviet era and his “I have not come here with the intention of proselytization, in Lviv, a Latin-rite mass in the Polish language, were far different homage to its martyrs; his diplomatical- but to bear witness to Christ together with all Christians of from what Kyiv offered. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims – esti- ly nimble maneuvering around attempts every Church and ecclesial community,” he emphasized. mates ranged from 300,000 to 500,000 – welcomed Pope John Paul by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Referring to himself as a “pilgrim of peace,” Pope John Paul II at the newly refurbished Lviv Hippodrome. Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) to II asked for and offered forgiveness in his first address in They came from all the Eastern and Central European countries, turn the affair into a political exchange Ukraine, a country he referred to as “the meeting place of the as well as Germany and Italy. Police estimated the prior day that in of acrimony; and his almost exclusive spiritual treasures of East and West.” a 24-hour period 350,000 people had crossed the western border of use of the Ukrainian language in most “As we ask for forgiveness for the errors committed in both Ukraine – 100,000 from Poland alone. of his public appearances raised his the distant and recent past, let us in turn offer forgiveness for Unlike the changing weather patterns in Kyiv, Lviv’s weather stature in the eyes of many throughout the wrongs endured,” said the holy father. was warm and sunny, at least initially that morning. Utilizing the Ukraine who had not been sure whether For weeks, the UOC-MP and its mother Church, the Russian chants that by then had become commonplace at the liturgical serv- (Continued on page 10) (Continued on page 17) (Continued on page 16) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2001 No. 26 ANALYSIS NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Most Ukrainians approve of pope’s visit Kuchma names vice PM for economy Theby pope Askold Krushelnycky begins his Thevisit Ukrainian to Catholic Ukraine Church was RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report banned by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin KYIV – The results of a poll released KYIV – President Leonid Kuchma on in 1944. Many of its priests and faithful on June 23 by Ukraine’s Oleksander June 25 filled the last vacant post in Pope John Paul II arrived in Kyiv on were executed or died in the gulag. The Razumkov Center of Economic and Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh’s Saturday, June 23 for a five-day visit to pope said that an important aim of his Political Studies revealed that 53.2 per- Cabinet, naming Economy Minister Vasyl Ukraine. visit is to commemorate the suffering of cent of respondents approve of Pope Rohovyi as vice prime minister in charge It is the first time any pope has visited Catholics who kept their faith alive dur- John Paul II’s visit to Ukraine, while 4.4 of economic policy, Interfax reported. Mr. Ukraine, whose population of 50 million ing the Communist era by holding percent said they want to listen to the Rohovyi told journalists after the nomina- is predominantly Orthodox. There are secret services in safe houses or in pope during a mass, Interfax reported on tion that he is not going to work as both around 6 million Ukrainian Catholics, forests and whose priests worked under- June 23. Of those polled, 31.1 percent minister and vice prime minister. mostly Greek-Catholics, who observe ground. said they are indifferent to the pontiff’s Presidential Chief of Staff Volodymyr Eastern-rite ritual but accept the pope’s The pope greeted all the faiths in visit, 6.8 percent said they disapprove of Lytvyn said he does not rule out that Mr. supremacy. Ukraine in his opening message and said the visit, and 0.4 percent announced that Rohovyi will perform both functions in Most believers belong to the three that he has come to Ukraine as part of they intend to participate in protest the government. (RFE/RL Newsline) Orthodox Churches that exist in the his passionately held desire to try to rec- actions against the visit. The poll was country. Two of those are Ukrainian and From Hitler’s prisons to Stalin’s camps oncile the Catholic and Orthodox held from April 20 to May 3 among have welcomed the pope’s visit, but the Churches. 2,000 adult Ukrainians. (RFE/RL third is a branch of the Russian MOSCOW – Aleksandr Yakovlev, the Russian Orthodox leaders are angry Newsline) Orthodox Church and has fiercely head of the Russian presidential commis- that churches and property confiscated opposed the visit. PM urges EU to avoid new divisions sion for the rehabilitation of the political- by the Communists and handed over to ly repressed, said on June 22 that Russia the Russian Orthodox Church – the only KYIV – Ukrainian Prime Minister should build a special memorial to those The two Ukrainian one allowed to function by Stalin – have Anatolii Kinakh on June 26 urged the 1.5 million Soviet soldiers who were been returned to the Ukrainian Catholic European Union to avoid creating new captured by the Germans and then were Orthodox Churches Church.

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