Greek Catholic Synod Calls State to Hear Voice
of the People
Lviv - The Synod of Bishops of the Kyiv-Halych Metropolitanate of the
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), which began its work
in Lviv on 23 November 2004, issued an address on the critical situation
in Ukraine. In the words of Bishop Stepan Meniok, UGCC exarch of Donetsk
and Kharkiv, "If
we are quiet, then we will be slaves forever." The complete text of the
address follows.
Address of the Synod of Bishops of the Kyiv-Halych
Metropolitanate of the UGCC to the Faithful and All People
of Good Will on the Present Social Situation in Ukraine.
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
In this decisive and fateful
moment for our Ukrainian people, we, the bishops of the UGCC gathered
in Synod, feel our obligation before God and the people to address
you with our pastoral message. The Church of Christ is always with
its people, it is their conscience, and in every critical situation
goes in their defense.
Above all, we want to recall that our Church more than once addressed
you all in its statements in the period before the election, saying that
every citizen of Ukraine should freely, according to the voice of his
or her conscience, and honestly cast his vote for the worthy candidate
for the presidency of Ukraine. Our Church did not campaign for any of
the candidates. In our pastoral addresses to the faithful we emphasized
the importance of preserving democratic principles during the election.
We will briefly recall the possible violations of these principles that
we cautioned against:
- Interfering in the free expression of the will of each citizen of
Ukraine.
-
One-sided information.
-
Using "administrative resources."
-
Buying votes.
-
Falsifying the results of the election.
Have we not become witnesses of these violations?
More than once the president of Ukraine publicly stated that the election
would be democratic. Did he, as the guarantor of the Constitution of
Ukraine, properly see to it that this was so?
Today the nation is convinced that democratic principles were violated.
When people take to the streets to defend their constitutional rights
in a peaceful way, they are not a dark mass "off the street." These are
brave people, self-sacrificing and responsible, who should be honored
and whose voice should be heard, for "the voice of the people is the
voice of God."
So we turn to those persons in positions of power, entrusted with power
by this same people, asking them not to give in to the temptation during
the resolution of this very difficult situation, not to use their standing,
the means of force and law-enforcement structures, for their own narrow
interests, against their own people. Your activities should always be
within the boundaries of the law.
We achieve true freedom through the way of the cross and suffering.
Let us be ready for this, for Christ the God-Man freed the human race
by His suffering and death on the cross from sin, and gave us all freedom.
In this difficult and responsible moment for our country, we call people
one by one, families and the whole nation, to common prayer for God's
help. We hope and we ask God Almighty that He, as the gracious Lord,
would give each and all of us the opportunity together and freely to
build a happy future for our long-suffering but blessed Ukrainian land.
May the Lord's blessing be upon you!
+ LUBOMYR
in the name of the Bishops of the Synod of the Kyiv-Halych Metropolitanate
of the UGCC
Source: www.ugcc.org.ua
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