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26.05.2007, [09:25] // Speech, greeting, press release // RISU.ORG.UA

Lviv – During a press conference at zaxid.net on 23 May 2007, Fr. Borys Gudziak, Ph.D., rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in western Ukrainian Lviv, expressed his ideas about issues like the church and politics and the role of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in the creation of a single national Ukrainian church.

Fr. Gudziak stressed: “Since modern politics is ruining souls, it is necessary that the church be ‘involved’ in it, but its role and mission should be precisely defined. The church should call politicians and citizens to general human moral values and it should not join some party or candidate. The principle is very simple, but its implementation should be very delicate.”

The rector noted: “I think in recent decades the hierarchs of the UGCC have adhered to this principle very precisely and fruitfully. However, there is always much room for improvement.” According to Fr. Gudziak, Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), head of the UGCC, has taken the right position on the matter.

Regarding the role of the UGCC in the creation of a single national Ukrainian church, Fr. Gudziak said: “I can say with certainty that the UGCC is able and has been called to further the union of Christians in Ukraine. Even though there is still a long way to go to reach unity, the UGCC has taken the right steps to achieve this goal.”

Also, the rector expressed his ideas about the situation with Soviet monuments: “There are monuments which may actually destroy the dignity not only of every Ukrainian but also of every human being. I consider it a moral paradox that on the land where communism and its terrorist ideology killed millions of people there may still be monuments to Lenin. I am a great supporter of creating positive historical memory and proposing to our society new monuments to people and events, highlighting universal Christian virtues, which will not have to be removed in 20 or 50 years.”

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