Archbishop Augustine of Lviv and Halych made a statement on the situation that emerged during the solemn Academy dedicated to the Independence Day of Ukraine

Statement

by Archbishop Augustine of Lviv and Halych


On August 20, present year, I, orthodox archbishop Augustine of Lviv and Halych had to leave the solemn academy which took place in Lviv on the occasion of the 19^th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine. Together with me the members of our delegation also left the premises of Lviv State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater of Solomiya Krushelnytska. The representatives of the Roman-Catholic Church also left the solemnities. 

All that gained extensive media coverage of the Ukrainian and Western mass-media. I am addressed not only by the faithful, members of the public and journalists, expressing astonishment and asking to explain the reasons of the incident.  

In the existing situation I think it necessary to make an official statement in order to make clear the motives of my actions, and to give evaluation to what has happened on the eve of celebrations of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Lviv.  In this connection I would like to state officially: I left the solemn meeting as a sign of categorical protest against the statements of chairman of the Lviv Regional Council, Mr Myroslav Senyk.  In his  specch Mr Senyk, whom I previously knew as quite normal and sound-minded politician, quite unexpectedly (for me, in particular) called the assembly to support national churches, to which he referred the Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate. 

One might (if desired) attribute these incorrect sayings, to put it mild, to a sort of internal frustration or something of the kind.  However, Mr Myroslav Senyk repeated word for word his scandalous appeals in the interview to the Lviv television on the very feast, August 24.    

Let's leave aside the problem of extremely complex relationship between the faithful of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the adherents of the church organizations mentioned, let's pay attention to the behavior of the chairman of the local council. 

First of all I am revolted by the fact that the state official committed flagrant indelicacy and a lack of respect towards all other religious confession of Ukraine (except those mentioned), whom Mr Senyk refused the status of national.  Most probably,  he considers "national" only those ones propagating militant nationalism  and dividing the one Ukrainian nation into the "ethnic Galicians"  and  the "nationally unaware easterners".   

The chairman of the Lviv regional council was not even embarassed by the fact that the most numerous and the oldest church in Ukraine - the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, born in the baptismal font of the Dnieper river in times of the Holy Prince Vladimir was not on his list  of national churches. 

With his words Mr Senyk insulted not only the Orthodox, but also the Roman Cathlolics, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and others, who are not the worse patriots than the Greek Catholics and the adherents of the former metropolitan Philaret of Kyiv and All Ukraine, who are so dear to his heart. 

What is much worse is that with his words the state executive crossed out the possibility of constructive cooperation with all religious confessions - for who of them will believe in a possibility of cooperation with a person, who openly declares primeval principles incompatible with the teachings of any traditional religion right on the day of the national feast? 

There is a one more important aspect in what has happened. It follows from the statements of Mr. Senyk that he does not recognize the fundamental values upon which the religious life in modern Ukraine should be built.   The chairman of the regional council, contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine does not think that all the functioning stat e religious organizations are equal before the law. Obviously he does not recognize another very important constitutional principle - the separation of Church and State. The same gross infringement of Ukrainian law is the fact that Mr. Senyk thinks possible the state's interference into religious life. It is shocking that such blatant ignorance of the law, the open bias and involvement are publicly manifested on the main national holiday of the country by the one who has to be in the first flight for protection of the Law in the region. 

As a protest against such offensive behavior of the regional council's chairman I left the solemn academy dedicated to the Independence Day of Ukraine. 

Finally, the circumstances urge me to declare that Mr Senyk by his irresponsible and provocative actions makes me doubt whether he is qualified for the high position of the regional council of Lviv, to which he was elected by the deputies  - the representatives of the people of Lviv and the Lviv region. 

August 25 2010
Lviv