http://www.risu.org.ua/rss.en.php The Religious Information Service of Ukraine Copyright: (C) RISU Lourdes, France— Faith and Light, an interreligious movement supporting the developmentally disabled, is having an International General Assembly in Lourdes, France, from 11 to 18 October 2008. Among the approximately 400 representatives from 80 countries will be three Ukrainians. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25124/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:07:00 +0300 Rome— As part of his official visit to Italy, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko met with 15 spiritual leaders among the Ukrainian diaspora in the country. In particular, Yushchenko highly praised the role of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in uniting Ukrainians in Italy. president.gov.ua posted the news on 9 October 2008. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25122/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:27:00 +0300 Kyiv— In an address approved at a meeting on 7 October 2008, leaders of Ukraine’s Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant churches give their opinion on the problem of worsening political conflicts in the country and possible ways to resolve the problems. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25121/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 15:25:00 +0300 Lutsk— The 4th Forum of Theologians of Central-Eastern Europe was held in northwestern Ukrainian Lutsk, Volyn Region, from 9 to 12 October 2008 with the theme “To be a human being is to be a prophet.” The Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in western Ukrainian Lviv was represented there by Dr. Yurii Pidlisnyi and Dr. Halyna Kryshtal of UCU’s Institute of Marriage and Family Life. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25115/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:24:00 +0300 Kyiv— Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), is to attend a gathering of the heads of Orthodox churches to be held in Istanbul from 11 to 12 October 2008. orthodoxy.org.ua posted the news on 9 October 2008. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25114/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:23:00 +0300 Kharkiv— On 9 October 2008, Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP), celebrated Liturgy at the Church of St. John the Apostle and Theologian in eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv. Commenting on his first trip to Kharkiv in 13 years, the head of the UOC-KP stated that today with his own eyes he saw how the process of the rebirth of spirituality is continuing in the area. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25113/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:21:00 +0300 Kyiv— On 8 October 2008 Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), held an open lecture for students of the University of Bank Matters of the National Bank of Ukraine in Kyiv. With the aid of a television connection, students of similar institutes from Lviv and Cherkassy also took part. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25112/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:17:00 +0300 Kharkiv— The Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in eastern Ukrainian Kharkiv is protesting the visit to Kharkiv of Patriarch Filaret (Denysenko), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate (UOC-KP). Deacon Oleksandr Kanevskyi of the Kharkiv Eparchy of the UOC-MP so stated on 8 October 2008. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25111/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:15:00 +0300 Kyiv—Bishop Volodymyr Harbar, assistant head of the Assembly of Independent Evangelical Churches of Ukraine (IEC), from 28 September to 6 October 2008 visited various churches of the IEC in southeastern Ukraine. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25110/ Fri, 10 Oct 2008 12:14:00 +0300 Washington— On 19 September 2008 the International Religious Freedom Report 2008 was released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor of the US State Department. One of its parts deals with Ukraine. The report says that, on the whole, the constitutional right of freedom of religion is respected in Ukraine, but certain problems in this area remain. The text of the report follows below. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25074/ Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:36:00 +0300 Kyiv-Donetsk—On 7 October 2008, Metropolitan Volodymyr (Sabodan), head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), began a three-day pastoral visit to the eastern Ukrainian Donetsk and Horlivka eparchies of the UOC-MP. The metropolitan is accompanied by the rector of the Kyiv Spiritual Academy and Seminary, Archbishop Antonii (Pakanych), and his secretary, Bishop Oleksandr (Drabynko) of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25073/ Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:34:00 +0300 Kirovohrad—Experts of the Regional Department of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kirovohrad unmasked a racist group which spread anti-Semitic ideas and planned terrorist acts near the city’s synagogue. According to the SSU, the group was unmasked in February. Investigation and the drawing up of documents continued for half a year. RISU’s Ukrainian-language site posted the news on 7 October 2008. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25048/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:10:00 +0300 Ukraine—The Union of Navy Chaplains of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) have called all people who are not indifferent to support with prayer the Ukrainian sailors of the ship Faina who were taken captive by pirates 12 days ago near the coast of Somalia. ugcc.org.ua posted the news on 6 October 2008. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25047/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:00:00 +0300 "For a few years now we have worked on presenting the Catechism to the faithful of our Church– to explain the truths of the faith, considering both the teachings of the holy Church in general and the specifics of own tradition." So said Patriarch Lubomyr, Head of the UGCC, in an interview for Radio Resurrection, commenting on the decision of this year’s Synod of Bishops to establish a Patriarchal Catechetical Foundation "Catechism of the UGCC." "In the Catechism these truths of the holy faith will be properly explained, so that every believer will be able to use it, not only theologians. We are working on this project, and much has already been done. We hope in the near future to hand on this Catechism, this explanation of the truths of our faith, in an appropriate printed form to our faithful," the Head of the UGCC continued. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25045/ Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:53:00 +0300 Ukrainian-American Veterans of the USA gathered over the weekend of September 26-28, 2008 in Somerset, NJ for their 61st Annual National Convention, celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the organization. http://www.risu.org.ua/eng/news/article;25027/ Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:42:00 +0300