Patriarch Lubomyr: The time of persecution was a time of blessing! Our Church was destroyed twice, but it has survived

On November 10, Patriarch Lubomyr, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, arrived in Zhytomyr to speak with locals about the 4th Social Days of the UGCC. "Our Church has begun its so-called Social Days, which aims to draw the attention of the faithful to social values. After all, our relationship with God makes us family," said the head of the UGCC. Socials Days of the UGCC are called to bring attention to the problems of education and science, to the needs of the disadvantaged, prisoners, and orphans, to support those who dedicate their lives to social issues. "These social days should become one of the elements of civil society. In fact, the society of citizens is a community of people who are not indifferent to one another, who live and think about the community and not only of themselves," said the head of the church at a round table on the Social Days. Korespondent Zhytomyr-Online asked if the church plans to return at least some of the faithful in their canonical territory, for at the end of the 18th century Ukrainians of the Zhytomyr region and almost all of the Right Bank were the Uniates. In response, the patriarch said: "The time of persecution was a time of blessing! Our Church was destroyed twice, but it survived thanks to the people who kept the faith in their hearts. We are not looking to regain as many people as possible. But we are looking for Greek Catholics here in Zhytomyr, where we have our communities, where the Basilian sisters are. And in southern Ukraine and in the Donbass – wherever our faithful are. Presently, in the Kyiv archeparchy alone there are over 60 of our communities!" In addition, talking with Zhytomyr residents as well as with journalists and civil activists, the head of the UGCC said that he supports the idea of a national church. "Now we have three Orthodox Churches and one Greek Catholic one. And once, at the time of Prince Volodymyr, we were one body. Is it possible now to reunite? If we all really wanted it, if the people strived for it, then we would succeed!" he said. In conclusion, the patriarch noted that the UGCC has close ties with all three Orthodox Churches. "The best relationship we have is with the Kyivan Patriarchate. But we try to keep good relations with the Autocephalous Church and the Moscow Patriarchate Church because they are our brothers in faith,” said Patriarch Lubomyr.

Information Department of the UGCC

Zhytomyr’s Internet articles about the visit of the head of the UGCC: reporter.zt.ua/news/669 zhitomir-online.com/kultura/2987-lyubomir-guzar-stalin-tezh-buv-rivnoapostolnim.html zhitomir-online.com/suspilstvo/2989-lyubomir-guzar-za-yedinu-pomisnu-cerkvu-v-ukrayini.html