An international conference on prison chaplaincy “Area Juridica” will be held in Kyiv

On June 6, 2009, the international conference “Juridical Measures of Prison Chaplaincy” will take place at the headquarters of the State Department of Ukraine for Execution of Punishment (81 Mel'nykova St.). The conference will examine the status of legislation in European countries for the safeguarding of humane practices in penitentiaries. UGCC in cooperation with the State Department, International Catholic Commission of Prison Chaplaincy Guardianship (ICCPPC) and the Christian Inter-confessional mission of prison chaplaincy will be organizing this event. Among those invited is the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Ivan Yurkovich, as well as members of the administration of the Inter-confessional mission, penitentiary chaplaincy of European countries, lawyers, directors of the State Department, members of the public council of the State Department, representatives of the Ministry of Justice and UN organizations in Ukraine.  The program consists of:

· the state of criminal justice in Central and Eastern Europe             · a presentation on criminal justice systems in Ukraine        · protection of the rights of prisoners and convicts as well as, through the cooperation with the clergy, the protection of religious rights for prisoners and convicts of different categories. 

This measure will become an important step as part of the preparation for the UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (Brazil, 2010). Members of the working group International Catholic Commission Prison Chaplaincy Guardianship (ICCPPC) “Area Juridica” will be taking part in the conference. This group is a very valuable resource in the search for the best socio-legal and spiritual approach to guardianship of persons under arrest, imprisoned and for those released from prison. The Church strives to serve all people, as the Lord did, and is especially attentive to the most destitute, as Jesus equated Himself to them: «I was in a prison, and you have visited me» (Mt. 25:36). A part of the pastoral mission of the Church is to protect human rights as well as overcome the difference in understanding between what is written and the spirit of these rights. Holy Father Benedict XVI encourages all faithful with the words: “We should strive towards a greater respect for dignity that is gained under imprisonment.” In a personal sense, “this ministering will open our own eyes to the wonders which God does for us daily (cf. Deus Caritas Est, 18).” The increasing amount of serious crimes and even acts of terrorism do not mean that society should fence itself off from the imprisoned and “throw away the keys”, thereby showing a disrespect to their inherent human dignity. The UGCC gained membership status in the ICCPPC during the XII Congress of the organization in Rome in 2007. The Congress appealed to the Episcopal conferences of the Catholic Church from all over the world to pay attention to the problems within prisons associated with juvenile delinquents, the mentally ill, the elderly, the poor as well as the growing number of foreign immigrants in prisons.

Deacon Kostyantyn Panteley
Advisor to the Department for the Penitentiary system of Ukraine