UCU's New Institute Hosts International Conference on Ecumenism
Lviv — From 13 to 14 June 2005 , the newly established Institute of Ecumenical Studies at the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) in western Ukrainian Lviv hosted an international conference "Friendship as an Ecumenical Value." The conference gathered scholars, theologians and hierarchs of different Christian denominations to discuss the ecumenical movement in Ukraine and throughout the world, as well as to share their vision of the search for unity among Christians.
Among those who participated in the conference were Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Antony (Shcherba) of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, Archbishop Ihor (Isichenko) of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, Konrad Reiser, former secretary general of the World Council of Churches, Fr. Daniel Ange of France, founder of the ecumenical evangelization center Jeunesse et Lumiere, and Fr. Andriy Onuferko of Canada, director of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute.
"For many centuries the church has suffered from an unacceptable division," said Archbishop Jurkovic in his greeting speech. "Because of human degradation, the flock of Christ was divided and remains so today." Archbishop Jurkovic pointed out that the newly elected Pope Benedict XVI has been giving great attention to the question of unity in Christianity since the first days of his pontificate. In addition, he praised the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv for opening the Institute of Ecumenical Studies and expressed hope that its work will add a fresh impetus to improving mutual understanding among different churches.
"Ukraine is a natural geopolitical territory at the crossroads between East and West, giving rise to serious ecumenical movements," said Fr. Ivan Dacko, director of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies. He also outlined the three main directions of the institute's activities: the renewal of the Kyivan Study Group, an active contribution to the creation of the ecumenical culture in Ukraine; the establishment of the Christian Academic Society of Metropolitan Ilarion of Kyiv; and finally, promoting accord and dialogue between Christians.
"Let us not forget the Christian principle articulated by St. Augustine , who said 'In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in caeteris caritas," which translates as 'unity in important things, freedom in doubtful things, and love in everything else."
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