Mail
and Commentary from Our Readers…January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2002
Mail from Our Readers is our latest
feature where we will post e-mail messages and excerpts from the cards and
letter that we receive. In all cases e-mail addresses and names will not be
published in order to protect the anonymity of the sender.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail
Received 12-23-02
Having been blessed enough to participate in a
Divine Liturgy with Bishop Bilak, I have witnessed what is sorely deficient in
the Greek Bishops and their clerical disciples that maintain they are loyal to
Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
Bishop Bilak told us that he
is aware of some of the negative language used to describe him. But what
impressed me most was that he stated he does not hate these people.
For the first time in many, many years, I thought to myself that this is
undoubtedly a man who is shepherding his flock. I watched as he embraced and
talked to each one of us at the end of the Liturgy. It mattered not if a man
had long hair or had become a close, personal friend of the Bishop's. It was
the way in which a father comforts and loves all of his children. We can
only be convinced of this by a person's actions and not by their words, alone.
He didn't seem to be preoccupied with the next luxury car he might own or which
of his two houses is more grand, the one in New Jersey or the one in Florida.
To those of the opposition who can't help but
read this website, do your souls a favor by celebrating a Divine Liturgy
with Bishop Bilak, the way a Church Service ought to be.
Anonymous
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail Received on 11-27-02
Good Luck!
Those bastards have been trying to
do the same thing with the Macedonian people and the Macedonian church for
hundreds of years. Its amazing how close the anti-Ukrainian propaganda
sounds to the anti-Macedonian crap we have to hear. We are not
Bulgarians, Greeks or Serbs, and they better learn that quick before they start
losing more people to the Uniates!
How dare they keep ethnic Ukrainians from supporting a church in the homeland.
Good luck to you all!
Regards,
Dan
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail
Received 11-13-02
"The Glitter
Dome"
The megalomaniacal Archbishop
Antonios of Ierapolis has proven once again how desperate he is to achieve
greatness. However, he has unwittingly succeeded in becoming one of the most
ridiculed bishops of our time. The garish gazebo, with its glittery onion
dome, that sits on the Church grounds in South Bound Brook is somehow a
representation of a Christian structure?! It is nothing more than a mockery,
which deserves the canned laughter of a situation comedy. This is certainly South
Bound Brook's version of The Emperor's New Clothes.
It would be to the Archbishop's
benefit to live by the following words given by the pre-Presidential
George Washington:
If to please the people we offer what we ourselves
disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to
which the wise and honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God.
No name, please.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail Received 11-16-02
Good luck on Monday.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail Received 11-11-02
Slava Isusu Khrystu!!
My name is __________and I am 24
years old from Adelaide, Australia. I publish an English language section in
our political magazine _______published by __________. Our mission is to foster
a nationalistic outlook in our young Ukrainians.
We all know about the troubles in
the Orthodox Church, especially here in Adelaide. In view of this I would like
to ask you for any articles which we could publish that are of a non-defamatory
nature and put across the arguments objectively etc.
90%, if not more, of us agree that
Orthodox Ukrainians should be under a Patrijarkh in Kyjiv.
As 99% of our young readers
are Ukrainian Catholic it will be very good for them to know what is going on,
and how this is all affecting patriotic Ukrainians around the world.
Also, many of them are influential in many organisations, and their views can
help steer public thought in the direction of Kyjiv. Thank you for your
time. If this goes onto your site please don’t publish my name or my work
in the magazine, as being Ukrainian Catholic, I don’t want to get mixed up in
the politics which have nearly destroyed the Orthodox parafija here!
Also, if the anti-Ukrainians found this out, my family could be in trouble, due
to our high level of involvement in all facets of the Ukrainian community here
in Adelaide. Also, some Ukrainian language articles would be good for the
Ukrainian language section, and for our Bulletin.
Z viroju u Vashoji peremohy!!
Slava Ukrajini!!
Herojam Slava!!!!!
Z Bohom!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My name is Hania and I had to respond when I found your
site.
For 20 years I have been living near Bound Brook. Both my
husband and I are Orthodox, my 19 year old daughter
is buried in Bound Brook but never ever ever in all the
times I attended all the functions, the services or when I sent my children to
school there did I feel anything but hollowness. Emptiness.
Lifelessness. It is not the lifesaving device that a church should be. I
really don’t know what it is. It is said that it is both a museum and a
monument. Is that its purpose?
Fortunately God sent us an Old Calendar Greek Orthodox
American priest to be our spiritual father. Greeks gave us the alphabet
and now they give us the Truth.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Received e-mail
November 5, 2002
The October / 02 issue of Ukrainian
Orthodox Word published a letter from one Fr. Gregory, pastor of the new Four
Evangelists mission in Bel Air, MD. It
states, “In the interests of
facilitating pan-Orthodoxy, and with Archbishop Antony’s blessing, we
are a New Calendar Parish, hoping to serve Orthodox Christians of all ethnic
backgrounds --- (as well, of course, as converts to the faith).”
Is that statement not
an indication of the direction that the so called Archbishop Antony of Ierapolis
is attempting to take the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA? Has
any Sobor ever approved this "New Calendar"
business? Why was Fr. Gregory's letter not printed in Ukrainian?
Is Bound Brook's extravagant verbiage about Subornapravnist
not simply hollow rhetoric crafted to appease senior Ukrainians who
still have money and property to bequeath?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is to advise all your
readers that the replacement for Fr. Paul Jagnisz at St. Mary’s Protectress
Parish,Rochester, NY is a married priest from Ukraine, Fr. Ihor Kozinsky (sp?).
He is also pushing the UOC of USA “party” line.
No name please.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-mail Received 9-04-02
I have enjoyed
your news tremendously and forward many of your updates to my Ukrainian friends
in Australia. Your news is one source that is invaluable and continuous the
Ukrainian philosophy of freedom of speech and freedom of Religion. This is why
our parents and grandparents migrated to United States because only here can
one be a free Ukrainian, carry out Ukrainian tradition, save these traditions
and be very much involved with our Church and have the right to know, question
and demand accountability. I commend you for your investigative reporting -
even if it is at times very difficult.
Name withheld by
request
Quote
from 35th Canon
Bound
Brook’s web site report on the July 22-23 Metropolitan Council Annual Session
and the September 2002 issue of Ukrainian Orthodox Word continues praising the
many good deeds accomplished by Archbishops Anthony of Hieropolis and Vsevolod
of Scopelos, without any use of their official Greek titles. This alone would not elicit any reaction;
it’s business as usual.
But
what caught my eye was Resolution 4 which stated “…the Metropolitan Council
deplores the intrusion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyivan Patriarchate
into the life of the Church here in America creating a malicious spirit of
disunity, lust for power, distrust and animosity among some of the faithful of
the UOC of USA…” The resolution states that this “intrusion” is in violation of
the 35th Apostolic Canon and then provides the following quote:
“A
Bishop shall not dare to confer ordinations outside of his own boundaries, in
cities and territories not subject to him.
If he be proved to have done so against the wishes of those having
possession of these cities and territories, let him be deposed, as well as
those whom he ordained.”
Some
observations:
1)
Isn’t the statement “those having possession of these cities and
territories” referring to the faithful, and the faithful in all cases requested
the jurisdiction of the UOC-KP. Hard to
argue that this was done against their wishes.
2)
Isn’t this exactly the same argument (canon) that the Moscow Church used
and continues to use against the very existence of an independent Ukrainian
Orthodox Church? How sad that the
bishops that once pledged loyalty to the Ukrainian Church are using the very
same tactic that was used to discredit the spiritual leaders that built the
very complex where they meet and issue these resolutions. Note: 2 out of 3
pledged their loyalty to the Ukrainian Church when they were consecrated
bishops by the then Metropolitan Mstyslav; Archbishop Vsevolod was consecrated
by the Greek Church (Archbishop Iakovos) and swore loyalty to that Church.
3)
Throughout the 20th century, if our martyr bishops and
faithful listened to this interpretation of the 25th Canon, we would
all still be part of the Russian Church.
4)
The terms “malicious spirit of disunity, lust for power, distrust and
animosity” are far more applicable to the authors of the resolution than to the
UOC-KP. The Kyivan Church is responding
to requests, but Bound Brook would prefer that these requests be ignored so
that the parishes and faithful have no choice, but to “pray, pay and obey”.
5)
What about the other canons forbiding bringing Church matters into civil
court, condemn certain life styles for priests and bishops, etc. Where is the
Metropolitan Council’s concern about these canons?
When
will the Greek Bishops of Bound learn that they cannot hide the truth nor can
they change history?
Please
withhold my name. Thank you
********************************************
E-Mail
received 08-04-02
I
recently read a book entitled On Living Simply. I would like to
paraphrase from the Introduction. See if you can draw any parallels from what
is going on with our "Hierarchs" and our former Autocephalous Church.
In
312 A.D., Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of his
scattered empire. After centuries of persecution and poverty, the bishops and
clergy suddenly found power and wealth accumulating. Counting themselves as the
most privileged members of society, they rejoiced in their new positions by
building luxurious palaces and villas for themselves, while strutting about in
sumptuous robes. But a significant minority was aghast! They urged the Church
to recall the simplicity and generosity which Christ not only
preached, but practiced. The most eloquent of these opponents was a Syrian
named John. We know him as Saint John Chrysostom.
Need
I say more?
No
name, no state, please
*********************************************************
E-Mail
received June 11, 2002
I would like
to inform you that The Ukrainian Icon of Pochaev has found its way to S. Bound
Brook (if this is indeed the one that was discussed on your website).
Parishioners have been asked to sign the schedule which will allow them to
keep the Icon in their home for one week. Is this the original Icon from
Ukraine?
Please
withhold my name. Thank you.
Reply:
We have no
idea if this is the actual Icon or a replica. We have heard that reproductions
have been sent to some parishes and the Parish Boards have refused to exhibit
these replicas. This question should be put to Antony, Archbishop of Hieropolis
and President of the Consistory of UOC-USA.
**************************************************************
I find a lot of irony and sadness in the realization that
the faithful in Ukraine as well as the faithful in the US are continually being
deceived.
In Ukraine the faithful are deceived by the Moscow
Patriarchate clergy who “claim” that they are Ukrainian clergy and who identify
their churches as “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” leaving off “Moscow
Patriarchate”.
In the US the
faithful are deceived by the bishops of Patriarchate of Constantinople, Antony
of Hierapolis, Vsevolod of Scopelos and Constantine of Irenopolis, who “claim”
that they are bishops of a “Ukrainian Orthodox Church” leaving off “Diocese of
the Ecumenical Church of Constantinople”.
The similarity in deceptive tactics is identical. In
Ukraine there are Moscow’s clergy that claim that they are Ukrainian priests.
While in the US we have Greek bishops that claim that they are Ukrainian
bishops. Sad is it not?
Please do not publish my name or location.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-Mail
Received 06-02-02
Krystos Voskres! Thank you for posting the information
on the Ukrainian icon of Pochaev. I have to believe all is in Almighty
God's hands and hope justice will soon prevail with all of these issues.
Do you know where this icon will be shown? I would like to pray in front
of it for the Ukrainian people's freedom. Thank you, Oleksandra.
Reply: As far as we know the
Pochaev icon was at St. Tikhon’s OCA Monastery, South Canaan, PA during the
Memorial Day weekend. We do not know the additional schedules.
*************************************************
E-Mail
Received 05-30-02
Re:
Protocol 937 Order Information
I
just ordered copies of the Autumn 1995 issue of Eastern
Churches Journal (from Eastern Christian Publications) and learned that it
is Volume 2 Number 3, not Number 2 as
referenced on your web site.
The
Eastern Christian Publications web site is www.rainc.com/ecp/
and their e-mail is ecp@doubled.com. The facility to
order online is not yet operational, but that can be done by phoning (703)
691-8585 or faxing (703) 691-0513. The current price is $15.00
per back issue.
“Open Letter”
from Protopresbyter Stefan Posakivsky, pastor of St.
Stephens Parish, Brunswick, Ohio to Antony, Archbishop of Hierapolis.
…………You are Antony, Archbishop of
Hierapolis, Church of Constantinople, and I am addressing you as a bishop of a
Greek church.
…………I am a member of a Ukrainian
Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate. Why is our parish, St. Stephens in
Brunswick, Ohio, which is under the jurisdiction of Kiev Patriarchate, listed
in your Church calendar published by the Consistory of UOC-USA ?
………….You are not within your rights
to intrude into church affairs of a parish which is under the direct
jurisdiction of Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate and not part of
your Consistory.
Content of the complete letter, in Ukrainian,
follows:
Протопресвітер
Стефан
Посаківський
Адміністратор Українських Православних Парафій
Київського
Патріархату
в США
Brunswick,
Ohio
Архиєпископа
Ієраполіського
Константинопольської
Церкви 13
березня 2002
року Божого
Ваше
Високопреосвященство!
Надіюсь, що
не помиляюсь
у написанні
Вашого
титулу – Ви є Архиєпископ
Ієраполіський
Константинопольської
Церкви, себто
Грецької. І я
звертаюсь до
Вас, як до
єпископа
ГРЕЦЬКОЇ
Церкви, тому
що я належу
до
УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ
Православної
Церкви
КИЇВСЬКОГО
ПАТРІАРХАТУ.
В Українському
православному
календарі
видання Української
Православної
Церкви в США
за 2001 та 2002 роки
вказана
церква
Святого
першомучинека
Стефана, що в
Брансвіку,
Огайо, і
місце настоятеля
в ній –
вакантне.
В
свій час Ви
працювали
для УПЦ в США,
і ми разом з
Вами, стояли
на колінах,
співали:
“Боже Великий
Єдиний, нашу
Україну
храни”. І я
старався, як
міг, щоб не
тільки
молитвами,
але й матеріально
сприяти
справі
відбудови
Україні та її
Церкви. За 10
років
незалежної
України я поверх
35 разів їздив
до неї,
доставляючи
гуменітарну
допомогу для
дітей та хворих,
що
постраждали
від
Чорнобильської
катастрофи, а
також
зібрані
кошти на
відбудову
Свято-Михайлівського
Собору, що
сьгодні
своїми
золотими
куполами
гордо підноситься
над Києвом. І
я радий, що в
ньому є частина
і моєї праці,
що на пам’ятних
дошках на
його стінах
золотими
літерами
написана
назва церкви
Святого
Стефана, що з
благословення
Патріарха
Київського і
всієї
Руси-України
Філарета я
був удостоєний
честі
служити в
ньому першу
Службу Божу.
І в той час я
не мав нічого
спільного з
Вами. Але я
памятаю час,
коли я
звернувся до
Вас за
благословенням,
щоб
запросити на
візиту до
Америки
Патріарха
Київського і
всієї
Руси-України
Філарета, а
замість того
отримав
заборону в
служінні.
Певно за те,
що я хотів
прислужитись
українському
народові та
його Церкві.
На
відміну від
Вас, церковна
та світська
влада
України за
мою працю
нагородила
мене золотою
медаллю,
орденом
Святого
Володимера
2-го ступеня,
грамотою
Президента
україни та
іншими
відзнаками.
Відносно
церкви
Святого
Стефана –
збудував її я
зі своєю
дружиною та
кількома
парафіянами,
які вже
спочили в Бозі.
Церква
належала до
блаженної
пам’яті
Митрополита
Андрія /Кущака/,
піджпорядкованого
екзарху
Константинопольського
Патріарха
Архиєпископу
Яковосу. В
теперішній
час церква
належить до
Київського
Патріархату,
на
підтверження
цього
висилаю Вам
копії з
Церковних
Православних
каледарів за
2000-й, 2001-й та 2002-й
роки. У
церкві
служать три
священики та
диякон – всі
Київського
Патріархату.
Ви не є
правосильні
втучатись до
справ церкви,
яка не
належить до
Вашої консисторії
– це входить
до
компетенції
Патріарха
Київського і
всієї
Руси-України
Філарета.
Підписано,
Протопресвітер
Стефан
Посаківський
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-mail
Received 04-11-02
Dear
Brother in Christ God:
Glory
to Jesus Christ..I take it from your web page you are against Bound
Brook…making sure I have correct information, for I am for the Kiev
Patriarchate...Metropolitan Filaret.....we are converts……….we are leaving our
jurisdiction and want to come under His Holiness Metropolitan Filaret..
Please,
help us to get the Kiev Patriarchate phone number, fax and email and
address...I think the St. Volodomyrs Cathedral in Kyiv is on Pushkin street, is
this correct??? Also isn't this where Metropolitan stays, his address and
place of residence, the actual Patriarchate itself is on Pushkin street,
correct???? Stick to your guns...you have every right to have your
church Independent of Moscow or from anyone...I am a convert and I decided to
join Kiev and join you in the fight...I am of________
descent and slavic….....no need to have one non-ethnic church....as some
want...I am convert, and it does not bother me in the least to attend divine
liturgy at Ukrainian church....Don't let them rob you of your birthright and
your right before God to be independent....It is hard for us who are not ethnic
Orthodox, but I have always been treated with greatest of love and kindness
with you Ukrainians....Stick to your guns as they say......our Brotherhood
shall be in prayer for you...
…..MAY CHRIST GOD AND THE ALL PURE MOTHER OF GOD SPEEDILY
COME TO YOUR AID AND TO OUR AID AS WE STRUGGLE FOR JUSTICE AND TRUTH.......in
Christ God, your brother: Fr. _____________.
please, may I hear from you soon...thank you.
Editorial Note:
Name, location and e-mail address omitted to protect the identity of the
writer.
E-mail received 03-16-02
Would it be possible to print the English translation of “To
the Vassals” and “In Defense of Holy Ukrainian Authocephalic Orthodox Church”?
Thanks.
Editorial Reply… We
would certainly like to accommodate your request but unfortunately we are
limited in time and manpower. The original articles were in Ukrainian. Should anyone be inclined to translate and
e-mail to us in Word format we would be happy to post them on our web site.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-mail Received 03-08-02
To Whom it May Concern
I would like to strenuously request that any comments I make
be taken as STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL!
Also, I would feel more comfortable writing to an
individual, preferably a Priest, Father _________ maybe? I await your
responses.
I just noticed your site, and have what could be considered
insight/help.
Signed….John
Editorial Reply….Dear
John,
Thank
you for writing. We appreciate all correspondence that we receive and hold them
all in strict confidence. Regarding
your request to write to an identified individual…we also would like to
maintain strict confidentiality for very obvious reasons…the safety of our
children and our personal safety not to mention minimizing the number of
slashed tires that we receive from our opposition. But regarding your mention
of writing to a priest, Father__________, …..since you may not be totally
familiar with all of the information on our web site we would suggest that you
address any correspondence to any of the authors on our web site. We do not
hold to much reliability in Father __________ objectivity.
In
addition we would suggest that if you have information or opinion that you
would like to express please contact attorney Myroslaw Smorodsky at
201-507-4500 or e-mail to myroslaw@smorodsky.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
E-mail received
February 1, 2002
Dear Editor,
In
perusing the current issue of Ukrainian Orthodox Word, Vol. LI, Issue 2,
February 2002 I noticed the photograph on page 12 “Parish Focus”…St. Nicholas –
Orthodox Mission in Charlottesville, Virginia.
What
happened to “Ukrainian” in the above church name or is this a non-ethnic
Orthodox entity that “joined” a Ukrainian Orthodox Church? Could this be a
pre-curser of things to come where some day we will see no mention of
“Ukrainian” but only:
St.
Andrews Memorial Orthodox Church
Orthodox
Cultural Center
St.
Andrews Orthodox Cemetery?
Maybe
in the back hills of Virginia it does not matter whether you are an American
hillbilly, Greek, Spaniard, Jew or an Arab. As long as you are “Orthodox” and pay
your church dues all are welcome. Reminds me of a statement made by Archbishop
Antony where he criticized Patriarch Filaret for expanding his influence by
accepting unknown, unrecognized, renegade, non Ukrainian parishes under his
jurisdiction in order to increase the size of his empire. Doesn’t it seem that
St. Nicholas Orthodox Mission falls into the same category described by
Archbishop Antony?
Please
do not publish my name, e-mail address or location.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=
E-mail received 01-04-02
Dear Editor,
Xrystos Razhdayetsa!
Slavte Yoho!
As
far back as I can remember the Orthodox Bishops of UOCUSA and Canada always
published their Christmas greetings to the faithful in “Svoboda” and “The Ukrainian
Weekly” AFTER December 25 and prior to January 7. This past year the Christmas
greetings were published BEFORE December 25, 2001 and absolutely nothing was
published to co-inside with celebration of Christmas on January 7, 2002. Why?
Is there some significance to this omission or commission? Do the hierarchs of
UOCUSA and Canada intend to abandon another Ukrainian historical tradition of
celebrating the birth of Christ on January 7th and to follow their canonical
Greek brothers and switch to the new (Gregorian) calendar? Does anyone have a
response to this observation or am I reading too much into a possible missed
publication deadline?
Signed,
Please
keep my name of the internet. I do not want reprisals against me or my family
in my local parish. Thank you.
************************************