“To be a follower of metropolitan Andrey is a divine grace and challenge, simultaneously”

It was said by the Head and Father of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav in the air of the First national channel in the frame of project “Sheptytsky: unclassified history” on 29^th of July.

According to the Head of the UGCC, metropolitan Andrey in all difficult situations tried to proclaim God’s moral law, even while he forwarded chaplains into different military units: “He did it for priests to be the preachers of God’s moral law among their people”.

In His Beatitude’s opinion, bishop Andrey’s message “Do not murder” to the Nazi leadership is very interesting. In the context of WW II this letter is aimed at Ukrainian politicians, as well. There is exactly said, political motives do not release from this God’s commandment. “Political murder is the same crime as all other types of murders. Metropolitan also applied with this word to his people, for he as a shepherd, was extremely concerned about Ukrainians were drawn in a deadly sinful whirl of murdering”, - explained an orator. As it is known, catholic’s theology teaches that sin of murder is punished with a small excommunication, meaning a separation from the Church.

Therefore, metropolitan Andrey, proceeded the Head of the UGCC, during the WW II gathered Lviv Archeparchial cathedrals where together with clergy he was thinking how to prevent Greek-Catholics from a seduction of murdering and how to heal those who had been trapped into that sin. “Mainly here is seen how logically it was about chaplains to be present in UPA, “Galicia” division or another pastoral presence of Ukrainian priesthood among people”, - added he.

The main archbishop pointed out, according to the Jews, metropolitan Andrey was the only catholic hierarch in Europe who protested openly against killing the Jews. Consequently, the parliament of Canada acknowledged solemnly his heroic virtues, in particular because of saving Jews during the Holocaust. “What is interesting, when this decision was voted with one accord, the whole Canadian parliament greeted with applauds the delegation of UCC and RO”, - reminded the archbishop.

Thinking about a figure of a Great metropolitan, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that history of princely Ukrainian families was very hard. Princely families who had been influenced by Moscow reign were russificated, another were trapped into a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth’s cultural and religious sphere of influence, were separated from their people and got polonised.

In that case people had been remaining for many centuries. “Metropolitan Andrey as a European aristocrat, descended from an ancient Ukrainian family, in a particular moment heard a voice, calling him back to his people. Even more, he had been collecting treasures of Ukrainian people’s culture. Everything what affirmed materially high culture of Ukrainians, when scientists were objecting or were not brave enough to speak about Ukrainian people’s existence, he gave it to Ukraine, - told the Head and Father of UGCC. – This act of granting a precious treasure to Ukrainian people is a fact of a nation’s formation. By this he acknowledged people with a right for their existence and he returned them their culture and their dignity”.

“To be a follower of metropolitan Andrey is a divine grace and challenge, simultaneously”, - shared his mind His Beatitude Sviatoslav. – For metropolitan was a man of world’s concern. Ukrainian people and UGCC once had experienced this kind of globalization, occurring now again. It was at the end of XIX – beginning XX centuries. The reasons were different. Firstly, high waves of Ukrainian emigration. Preciously that time he felt himself being a Head of a global Church. To his ecumenical idea he gave all his life”.

Here the Head of the UGCC reminded an occasion when bishop Andrey, after February revolution headed to Sankt-Peterburg where he had a meeting with Russian intelligentsia. Then, Russian government considered, in fact, UGCC to be the part of Russia. It is known in what way he was speaking on behalf of Ukrainian people during the so called meeting of a Nation’s league which divided a map of Europe after the World War first. “Distinctively, there was no other left who could speak on behalf of people who were left of their own country during those events of a world level. So, as we can see metropolitan Andrey was a giant not only in intellectual way. It is a person who embraced the main principles according to what is possible to consolidate Ukrainian people”, - mentioned His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

Finishing up, the Head of the Church proposed to remember a famous work of bishop Andrey “How to build a native home”. “This work is written when the Ukrainian house was burning during the WW II. In this work an author stressed on the importance of an inner unity. Ukrainian people must reveal to themselves not only the figure of metropolitan but also the way to freedom that was shown us”, - finished he.

The UGCC Department of Information