Podillia residents remember their fellow-countryman, who became prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches 09.07.2008, [11:08] // Kaleidoscope // 04.06.2008, [15:50] // Ðåë³ã³éíå êðàºçíàâñòâî //
A cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Wladyslaw Rubin (1917-1990), is little known in Ukraine. No books were written about him here, no TV or radio programs were made. During Soviet rule he was forgotten on purpose, and at the time of independent Ukraine, very few people are left who remember him. In his native village of Toky, Pidvolochysk District, in western Ukraine’s Ternopil Region, there still live elderly people who know at least a little about the cardinal. In the mid-war period, they were still children, but it is thanks only to them that their fellow villagers do know about their fellow countryman. Even now one can see in the village the family house where the pastor of all the Polish diaspora scattered around the globe lived. Volodymyr MOROZ reports.
Program of Events Celebrating 1020th Anniversary of Baptism of Kyivan Rus Presented 17.07.2008, [15:26] // Inter-Christian relations // Kyiv— The deputy head of the Secretariat of Ukraine’s president, Yurii Bohutskyi, stated that the large scale celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus will promote consolidation of the Ukrainian society. “The celebration is a great occasion to formulate ways to unify Ukraine, not only the Churches, but all of Ukrainian society,” said Bohutskyi. He also noted that Ukraine’s president, Victor Yushchenko, stressed and continues to stress the importance of such steps.
Latest news
Ukraine Education Minister & Churches Discuss Youth Education 18.07.2008, [16:53] // Church-state relations // Kyiv— Ukrainian Minister of Education Ivan Vakarchuk met with representatives of the country’s Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches on 17 July 2008 in Kyiv. According to the press office of the Christian-Democratic Union, Vakarchuk emphasized the importance of the education of children and youth and how the churches and the state can work on this together. Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-MP) Disturbed by Division, but Don’t Accept Greek Catholic “Union” Proposition 18.07.2008, [16:17] // UGCC // Kyiv— On 16 July 2008, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), headed by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), listened to the address of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), of 26 April 2008. The synod admitted that, like the UGCC, it is disturbed by church divisions in Ukraine, but cannot accept the model proposed to unite the Ukrainian churches that are direct or indirect heirs of Volodymyr’s Baptism. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) Examines Internal Affairs & Position to Others 18.07.2008, [16:13] // UOC-MP // Kyiv— At the residence of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in the Kyivan Monastery of Caves, a session of the UOC-MP Synod, led by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), met on 16 July 2008. Issues discussed included the UOC-MP’s internal affairs and its position to Ukrainian churches not in communion with it. Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-KP) positively Receive UOC-MP Response 18.07.2008, [12:17] // UOC-KP // Kyiv— “On the whole we positively assess the response we have received.” So Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria) of Vasylkyivskyi, head of the Information-Publishing Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP), commented on the 16 July statement of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) as to its position regarding the UOC-KP. uaorthodox.info posted the news on 17 July 2008. Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-MP) Respond to UOC-KP 18.07.2008, [12:13] // UOC-MP // Kyiv— Members of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which met on 16 July 2008 in the residence of the UOC-MP head in the Kyivan Monastery of the Caves, listened to the “Address of the Synod and Episcopate of the UOC-KP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate] to the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (part of the Moscow Patriarchate)” of 14 December 2007 and passed a decision to send a response to explain the position of the UOC-MP. Greek Catholics to Focus on Spirituality for 1020th Anniversary of Kyivan Rus Baptism 18.07.2008, [12:11] // UGCC // Kyiv— “On 27 July a thanksgiving service to God for the gift of baptism will occur in all Greek Catholic parishes of Ukraine.” So said Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh, auxiliary bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). RISU posted the news on 16 July 2008. Civil Order will be Kept at Celebration of 1020th Anniversary of Kyivan Rus Baptism 17.07.2008, [16:51] // Church-state relations // Kyiv— Civil order during the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus will be secured at the appropriate level. This was reported on 17 July 2008 at a press-conference by the assistant minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, Oleksandr Savchenko.
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) Examines Internal Affairs & Position to Others 18.07.2008, [16:13] // UOC-MP // Kyiv— At the residence of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in the Kyivan Monastery of Caves, a session of the UOC-MP Synod, led by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), met on 16 July 2008. Issues discussed included the UOC-MP’s internal affairs and its position to Ukrainian churches not in communion with it. Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-KP) positively Receive UOC-MP Response 18.07.2008, [12:17] // UOC-KP // Kyiv— “On the whole we positively assess the response we have received.” So Bishop Yevstratii (Zoria) of Vasylkyivskyi, head of the Information-Publishing Department of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP), commented on the 16 July statement of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) as to its position regarding the UOC-KP. uaorthodox.info posted the news on 17 July 2008. Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-MP) Respond to UOC-KP 18.07.2008, [12:13] // UOC-MP // Kyiv— Members of the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), which met on 16 July 2008 in the residence of the UOC-MP head in the Kyivan Monastery of the Caves, listened to the “Address of the Synod and Episcopate of the UOC-KP [Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate] to the hierarchs, clergy, and faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (part of the Moscow Patriarchate)” of 14 December 2007 and passed a decision to send a response to explain the position of the UOC-MP.
Protestants
Heads of Protestant Churches of Ukraine Call Government to Protect Believers from Police Behavior 16.07.2008, [08:19] // Protestant // Kyiv— On 14 July 2008, the Council of Evangelical Protestant Churches of Ukraine forwarded a repeated address to Ukraine’s Premier Yulia Tymoshenko and Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Y. Lutsenko as well as other deputies, complaining about the incomplete and biased character of the investigation of facts of illegal and brutal police behavior with respect to ministers and faithful of the Protestant Churches of Ukraine. RISU’s Ukrainian-language web page posted this story on 15 July 2008. European Slavic-Ukrainian Gospel Community Holds Constituent Assembly 12.07.2008, [13:04] // Protestant // Kyiv—On 10 July 2008, the constituent assembly of the European Slavic-Ukrainian Community of the Gospel (ESUCG) was held in Kyiv’s New Life Christian Center at the initiative and with the support of the Council of Independent Evangelical Churches (CIEC). The participants, including pastors of various Protestant churches, religious organizations and state institutions, as well as journalists, discussed how to help five million Ukrainians and Slavs in the diaspora. So reported RISU correspondent Svitlana Yaroshenko. Web-conference with Pastor Adelaja Addresses Church’s Role in Ukrainian Politics 05.06.2008, [17:54] // Protestant // Kyiv— Pastor Sunday Adelaja was the guest participant in an internet-conference held at liga.net’s press center in Kyiv. Questions for the church leader included: How did the Embassy of God became the largest Charismatic Church in Europe in the past 14 years? How did Chernovetskyi win the elections for mayor again? Why and to what extent is the Embassy of God Church active in the public and political life of Kyiv? RISU’s Ukrainian-language webpage posted this story on 3 May 2008.
Church, Society, State
Ukraine Education Minister & Churches Discuss Youth Education 18.07.2008, [16:53] // Church-state relations // Kyiv— Ukrainian Minister of Education Ivan Vakarchuk met with representatives of the country’s Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches on 17 July 2008 in Kyiv. According to the press office of the Christian-Democratic Union, Vakarchuk emphasized the importance of the education of children and youth and how the churches and the state can work on this together. Civil Order will be Kept at Celebration of 1020th Anniversary of Kyivan Rus Baptism 17.07.2008, [16:51] // Church-state relations // Kyiv— Civil order during the celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus will be secured at the appropriate level. This was reported on 17 July 2008 at a press-conference by the assistant minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, Oleksandr Savchenko. Program of Events Celebrating 1020th Anniversary of Baptism of Kyivan Rus Presented 17.07.2008, [15:26] // Inter-Christian relations // Kyiv— The deputy head of the Secretariat of Ukraine’s president, Yurii Bohutskyi, stated that the large scale celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus will promote consolidation of the Ukrainian society. “The celebration is a great occasion to formulate ways to unify Ukraine, not only the Churches, but all of Ukrainian society,” said Bohutskyi. He also noted that Ukraine’s president, Victor Yushchenko, stressed and continues to stress the importance of such steps.
Catholics
Ukrainian Orthodox (UOC-MP) Disturbed by Division, but Don’t Accept Greek Catholic “Union” Proposition 18.07.2008, [16:17] // UGCC // Kyiv— On 16 July 2008, the Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), headed by Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), listened to the address of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), of 26 April 2008. The synod admitted that, like the UGCC, it is disturbed by church divisions in Ukraine, but cannot accept the model proposed to unite the Ukrainian churches that are direct or indirect heirs of Volodymyr’s Baptism. Greek Catholics to Focus on Spirituality for 1020th Anniversary of Kyivan Rus Baptism 18.07.2008, [12:11] // UGCC // Kyiv— “On 27 July a thanksgiving service to God for the gift of baptism will occur in all Greek Catholic parishes of Ukraine.” So said Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh, auxiliary bishop of the Kyiv Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). RISU posted the news on 16 July 2008. Greek Catholics to Celebrate 1020th Anniversary of Baptism of Kyivan Rus 17.07.2008, [16:05] // UGCC // On 27 July 2008 at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv (metro station Livoberezhna, Mykil’sko-Slobids’ka St., 5), a celebration of the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine will take place. The celebration will begin at 9:00 with a pontifical Divine Liturgy at which Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), will preside.
Other faiths
International Youth Summer School on Islam Opened in Kyiv 10.07.2008, [23:18] // Muslims // Kyiv—On 7 July 2008, at the M. Drahomanov’s National Teacher Training University, opened the 7th international religious studies youth summer school “Islam: History, Essential Dimensions and Modern Trends.” It was organized by the public youth organization Youth Association of Religious Studies Experts and the international youth organization Academy of Peace and Development. According to the organizers, the purpose of the school is to increase the level of the youth’s knowledge of Muslim culture and to foster tolerant thinking. 30,000 Ukrainian Jehovah’s Witnesses Gather in Lviv for Special Prayer Service 05.06.2008, [23:09] // Jehovah’s Witnesses // Lviv— On 31 May 2008, approximately 30 thousand Jehovah’s Witnesses from all over Ukraine gathered at Ukraine Stadium in Lviv for a special prayer service in honor of Teodor Yarach, a member of the organization’s leadership, and John Kickot a representative of the organization’s International Center in New York, USA. They have been touring several countries for the past couple of weeks with their respective wives, Melita and Laura, to encourage their fellow-believers. Ukraine Buddhists Demand Parliament Reject New Religion Bill 29.05.2008, [15:21] // Buddhists // Kyiv— Responding to the bill of a national deputy of the Our Ukraine-National Self-Defense bloc, H. Moskal, “On making alterations to the Law of Ukraine ‘On freedom of worship and religious organizations’ (regarding the prevention of activity of religious cults of a destructive character and totalitarian sects),” the Spiritual Board of Ukraine’s Buddhists (SBUB) stated that Parliament’s passing that bill would lead to considerable complications of the relations between religious organizations and state authorities, cause considerable interreligious tension, and seriously undermine Ukraine’s image as a state governed by the rule of law both among believers and internationally. An open address of the SBUB, signed by the head, Dzhordzhe Dzhambo Choizhe-lamy, was released on 26 May 2008.
Spirituality, Religious Life
All-Ukrainian Procession for 1020th Anniversary of Baptism of Rus Continues 04.07.2008, [16:24] // Religious ceremony // Kyiv— With the blessing of the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of the Kyivan Patriarchate, the association Way of the Orthodox resumed the religious procession for the occasion of the 1020th anniversary of the baptism of Rus from 16 June 2008.
According to the site of Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), famous icons and relics will be carried in the procession. After the procession, one icon will be presented to Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan) of the Kyivan Patriarchate and another to Patriarch Alexis II of Moscow. A New Hierarch Of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Of The USA Consecrated 14.05.2008, [09:12] // Religious ceremony // The weekend of May 9-11, 2008 has been described as a weekend of a spiritual joy and renewal not only more than 500 people who gathered at St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, OH but for the entire Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, as the hierarchs, clergy and faithful of the Church witnessed the consecration of a new bishop of the UOC of the USA in the person of Archimandrite Danyil (Zelinskyi). Confessions United In Combating AIDS in Ukraine 08.04.2008, [13:32] // Charitable activities // Kyiv— From 31 March to 4 April 2008, the Interconfessional AIDS Resource Centre (IARC) in conjunction with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations offered an AIDS awareness seminar for ministers and parishioners alike.
