Reply to Dr. Lysyjs’ article “Sobor Unite US” as published in the Orthodox Word, official publication of the UOC-USA.
The following are excerpts from a Ukrainian
article by Jurij Doroshenko published in “Young Ukraine”, Kyiv, January 10,
2001.
(Translated from
Ukrainian)
“Notations from church
politics or….
How the American “fellows” united the Ukrainian
Churches and praised themselves”
“I cannot disagree with Dr. Lysyj that right now, for
the Ukrainian Church, there have “opened new possibilities”, but they are not
tied to the internal life of any one of the Ukrainian diaspora churches. It
would be comical to believe that such serious processes that are occurring in
the life of the orthodox faithful in Ukraine have been initiated by several
hierarchs, clergy, and, overburdened with church matter, lay pensioners from
the diaspora”.
“Dear sir's, it is not worth to elevate your
self-worth in proposing a solution towards creating a united Ukrainian Orthodox
Church in Ukraine when you are unable to solve your own internal church
problems.”
“Further you should not disseminate misinformation to
the worldwide Ukrainian faithful. For according to Dr. Lysyj: Metropolitan
Constantine traveled to his hierarch (in Istanbul), discussed something or other
and at once His Holiness (Patriarch Bartholomew) initiates assistance to the
Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Maybe this is a pretty fairytale but
nevertheless it is a fairytale. For if we are to believe Dr. Lysyjs’ version a
question is raised…Why then, at an earlier time, didn’t Metropolitan
Constantine “request a word” with His Holiness to help his poor and
“uncannonical” brethren in Ukraine? It is self evident that the true initiator
of these processes was the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. This was confirmed
by his activities within the arena of worldwide orthodoxy particularly his
political battle in Estonia with his Moscow colleague, Patriarch Alexij”.
“I will permit myself to bring to your attention, that
such articles (as Dr. Lysyjs’) remind us of official communist reports at
completion of 5 year plans. This is an elemental attempt at justification by
the UOC-USA hierarchs for their 1995 retreat from the Kyiv Patriarchate. Then
and now the UOC-USA hierarchs decided that it is their right to act
unilaterally and only to provide notification to the faithful. Apparently, even
in Ukraine the UOC-USA hierachs are not opposed to “creating” such a church.
But what about sobornopravnist? It is quite evident that certain individuals
are justifying their actions, attempting to take advantage of the situation in
Ukraine, to support their declining authority”.
Jurij Doroshenko,
Kyiv, Ukraine, January 10, 2001