Changes in the Ukrainian Catholic Liturgy
Jun 22, 2017 1:06:05 GMT -5
Voxxkowalski, Marya Dabrowski, and 1 more like this
Post by wenceslav on Jun 22, 2017 1:06:05 GMT -5
Part 1:
Recently, there have been many good threads discussing the UGCC [Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]. Many Traditionalist [Roman] Catholics have questions regarding the safety of Eastern Catholic parishes (in North America and Europe) as legitimate sources of the sacraments and a true Catholic environment. The decision, to attend a Divine Liturgy, to fulfill one's Sunday duty is of course left up to the reader. But I think its relevant and helpful to discuss the current environment in the UGCC and associated Byzantine Catholic Churches - including the official position of the Ukrainian Hierarchy, changes in the Liturgy(and their legitimacy), the Holy Mysteries and other disciplinary changes that manifest a "new" direction. I come from a biritual family (i.e. Eastern Slovak) and my family and I have attended a Traditional Divine Liturgy for many years although I now avail myself of the sacraments at a SSPX chapel.
After the fall of Communism in the early 1990s, the priests from the underground Church who valiantly stood against the Bolshevist system (and against schism which the Bolsheviks promoted after the 2nd world war and occupation of Ukraine) were not chosen as the natural successors to the murdered hierarchy of Ukraine. Instead priests from the diaspora "occupied all the leading positions, from the head of the church to the founders of its new educational system [seminaries]. These people [priests from the West] were better educated in the spirit of the post-Vatican II Catholic Church...."[1. Churches in-between, Greek Catholic Churches in Postsocialist Europe, S. Mahieu and V. Naumescu, ads, 2008, p. 175].
Hence, it was underground priests like Fr. Basil Kovpak who formed the SSJ [Society of St. Josaphat] with other like-minded priests in 2000 A.D. [in Western Ukraine and Eparchy of L'viv and now supported by the SSPX] to continue to teach the Traditional Catholic Faith not infected with the Modernism of the newly established Hierarchy. Below is an excerpt from 2010 issue of Bells of Fatima Magazine - author Fr. Kovpak [Translation from Ukrainian is mine]:
Unfortunately this above quote is still the position of the UGCC.
Recently, there have been many good threads discussing the UGCC [Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church]. Many Traditionalist [Roman] Catholics have questions regarding the safety of Eastern Catholic parishes (in North America and Europe) as legitimate sources of the sacraments and a true Catholic environment. The decision, to attend a Divine Liturgy, to fulfill one's Sunday duty is of course left up to the reader. But I think its relevant and helpful to discuss the current environment in the UGCC and associated Byzantine Catholic Churches - including the official position of the Ukrainian Hierarchy, changes in the Liturgy(and their legitimacy), the Holy Mysteries and other disciplinary changes that manifest a "new" direction. I come from a biritual family (i.e. Eastern Slovak) and my family and I have attended a Traditional Divine Liturgy for many years although I now avail myself of the sacraments at a SSPX chapel.
After the fall of Communism in the early 1990s, the priests from the underground Church who valiantly stood against the Bolshevist system (and against schism which the Bolsheviks promoted after the 2nd world war and occupation of Ukraine) were not chosen as the natural successors to the murdered hierarchy of Ukraine. Instead priests from the diaspora "occupied all the leading positions, from the head of the church to the founders of its new educational system [seminaries]. These people [priests from the West] were better educated in the spirit of the post-Vatican II Catholic Church...."[1. Churches in-between, Greek Catholic Churches in Postsocialist Europe, S. Mahieu and V. Naumescu, ads, 2008, p. 175].
Hence, it was underground priests like Fr. Basil Kovpak who formed the SSJ [Society of St. Josaphat] with other like-minded priests in 2000 A.D. [in Western Ukraine and Eparchy of L'viv and now supported by the SSPX] to continue to teach the Traditional Catholic Faith not infected with the Modernism of the newly established Hierarchy. Below is an excerpt from 2010 issue of Bells of Fatima Magazine - author Fr. Kovpak [Translation from Ukrainian is mine]:
....A short analysis of this, of what is occurring in the Catholic Church. Lets analyze our thesis: was it proper [of us] to establish the Priestly Brotherhood of the Holy Martyr Josafat in the UGCC? For this, that the reader may better understand the situation in our Church, and in what direction our present hierarchy is taking us, I offer some quotes from the book by Anthony Arzhakovsky "Conversations with His Beatitude Lubomir Husar" published by Post Confessional Christian Publishing, Ukrainian Catholic University, 2006. [i.e. Lubomir Husar was the head and Metropolitan of the UGCC until 2011] Some excerpts from these discussions (while not taking phrases or words out of context so other interpretations could be made) simply reveal the position of the head of the UGCC, Cardinal Lubomir Husar, and the state of our Church and the direction that our present Hierarchy is taking our Church. (Note, its not possible to relate everything but we can discuss much.) Here are some quotes that reveal the spiritual direction of the UGCC: "How do we understand Uniatism in the classical way and in what way can we establish a new type of unity; the latter which we cannot support enough. We were deceived by the concept [of Uniatism].., We want to be Orthodox, to be in that Tradition, though as Uniats we weren't always faithful [to Orthodoxy]. I believe we lost something from this Tradition [i.e. Orthodoxy], which we are bound once again to find....Our position is very practical. We believe we have no differences with the Orthodox in relation to the Faith. Questions about purgatory, the Immaculate Conception, the Filioque is a theological question and not a question of Faith. With respect to Communion, our position is as follows; when a Catholic resides in an area without a Catholic Church, he can freely attend and partake of the Holy Mysteries in an Orthodox Church. And vice-versa, when an Orthodox Christian cannot find an Orthodox priest, we cannot refuse him the sacraments, especially with regards to Holy Confession and Holy Communion..."
This is the approach that the head of the UGCC, Cardinal Lubomir Husar, has in Church matters.
This is the approach that the head of the UGCC, Cardinal Lubomir Husar, has in Church matters.
Unfortunately this above quote is still the position of the UGCC.