His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar: ‘Cherkasy region is the heart of Ukraine, and if the heart is beating well, then all Ukraine will be fine’

On Sunday, December 18, as part of the fifth Ukrainian Social Days of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, inhabitants of the Cherkasy region had a chance to meet with His Beatitude Archbishop Lubomyr (Husar). In Cherkassy His Beatitude was accompanied by the person responsible for the Social Days of the UGCC in Ukraine Fr. Ihor Shaban, a personal assistant to Archbishop Fr. Raphael and the head priest of the Veil of our Lady Church in Cherkasy Fr. Julian Sheremet. It was Archbishop Lubomyr’s first visit to Cherkasy. According to Fr. Ihor Shaban, the practice of Social Days is European, and Metropolitan Andrey (Sheptytsky) introduced is to Ukraine. Today Social Days of the UGCC is an open scientific and intellectual discussion that unites all people of good will for a public dialogue on pressing social topics at the local and national level. This year's topic of discussion and debate was the respect and dignity of the human person. Fr. Sheremet reported in a press conference that as part of the Social Days of the UGCC in Cherkasy, the church joined the campaign “Saint Nicholas lives in each of us.” Participants visited the center and shelter for minors Teplyi Dim (Warm House). As the His Beatitude Lubomyr, Socials Days of UGCC is not limited to attention to the most afflicted and needy groups of the community. Advocating self-dignity is a battle invisible to others that accompanies the everyday life of every person. And no one will defend your dignity, but you. To be able to live is a whole a science, which is not taught in a book, and a person must, despite various circumstances, never cease to be himself. Many dreams of Ukraine's independence are not fulfilled because society is more oriented toward material values than spiritual. Round tables and discussions in the local communities initiated by the church have become the impetus for the holistic healing of the moral climate in the society – although this matter is not quick and easy. The archbishop noted the youth’s growing interest in religious values. “Religion is a source of knowledge that helps regulate life,” said Lubomyr Husar. As for children learning religious values, the former head of the UGCC gave wise advice to parents: “Do not send a child to church, but take her with you to church.” His Beatitude said that the aim of Social Days of the UGCC is primarily communicating God's Word to the community. A person himself has to decide which church to go and where to seek the truth. “We want to help those people who are searching for God,” he said. However, he stressed that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church respects the dignity of the human person and respects all Christians, no matter what denomination they belonged to. After the press conference a discussion was held with residents of Cherkasy in the Hall of Cherkasy Regional Music and Drama Theater. During the meeting, community leaders and interested citizens were interested in the church’s point of view on the events of public life in Ukraine, in particular, His Beatitude Lubomyr’s thoughts on renaming streets, tearing down monuments from the totalitarian era, and the activity of the SS Galicia Division. Participants also asked whether Taras Shevchenko really received the Sacrament of Baptism of a Uniate priest in Kirillovka (now, the village Shevchenkove). Fr. Julian Sheremet responded saying that he has a copy of a document that confirms the fact. And the original is kept in the Kyiv Taras Shevchenko Museum. But the Greek Catholic church where Shevchenko was baptized stopped its activity in the 1930s as a result of the spread of influence of the Moscow Patriarchate on Right-Bank Ukraine. His Beatitude expressed his views on the social and political situation in Ukraine and stressed that there is no other way of resolving conflicts that by a life based on Christian values, because if everyone followed God’s law, life would be like it is in Paradise. The archbishop suggested to the Cherkasy community a peaceful but very effective way to eliminate the current ugliness – roundtables and public discussions. “If we think that someone will give us something, we are mistaken. Freedom has to be gained by fighting!” said His Beatitude.  

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