Greek Catholic Priest Responds To Orthodox (UOC-MP) Vice-Rector
LVIV, UKRAINE, Feb 12, 03 (RISU.org.ua) - Fr. Mykola Makar of the Ukrainian
Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), vice-rector of the Kyivan
Theological Academy, said that Greek Catholics are a stumbling block to
dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches. This news was reported
by the press service of the UOC-MP on 7 February 2003. In response, Fr.
Mykhaylo Dymyd, director of the Institute of Canon Law at the Ukrainian
Catholic University (UCU) in Lviv, commented.
Fr. Makar noted that dialogue between Orthodox and Catholic believers
develops in very difficult conditions and is hindered by their different
attitude to Greek Catholics. He went on to say that while Roman Catholics
treat Greek Catholics as “one of their own,” Orthodox believers perceive
them as “betrayers of the faith.” “This is the reason why it is difficult
to reach a consensus even on some organizational problems, not to mention
dogmatic issues,” said Fr. Makar. In addition, he also expressed his doubts
concerning the improvement of relations between Orthodox and Catholic
jurisdictions.
Fr. Mykhaylo Dymyd responded. “Once the Roman Catholic Church didn't have
good relations with Greek Catholic churches, either,” he said. “During the
Second Vatican Council, however, it did an examination of conscience and
acknowledged that these churches should return to their traditions, their
own theological and canonical systems.”
“The Orthodox Church didn't do this [make an examination of conscience],”
according to Fr. Dymyd. “It should have reflected on the past and realized
that the Kyivan metropolitanate, a part of this church, decided to unite
with the Roman Catholic Church not in defiance of anyone, but for the sake
of its own good and the good of the universal church.”
“The church that currently adheres more to the Moscow tradition than the
Kyivan one could not understand and accept what took place in the Kyivan
tradition,” said Fr. Dymyd.
“The attitudes towards the Greek Catholic Church, which is the Kyivan
Church united with Rome, of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan
Patriarchate and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church on the one
hand, and the Orthodox who are the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and don’t want
to be called the Moscow Patriarchate, even though they actually are the
Moscow Patriarchate, on the other hand, are different too. The latter want
to introduce the Moscow tradition of treating the Uniates,” stressed Fr. Dymyd.
“If the Kyivan Orthodox Church is really not afraid to look back at its
history, then it will see that the so-called Uniate Church is part of this
history. The Kyivan Orthodox Church should not turn it away or anathematize
it, but make an examination of conscience and begin the discussion, if not
on an equal basis, then at least as mother and daughter or daughter and
mother, depending on the interpretation. Furthermore, we are talking about
Christian churches, based on Jesus’ teaching, which is love,” emphasized
Fr. Dymyd.
Note:
Father Makar studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary but later joined
the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He earned a doctorate in canon law at
the Papal Oriental Institute (POI) in Rome. Later, Cardinal Myroslav Ivan
Lubachivsky, late head of the UGCC, named him the head of the
archieparchial tribunal of the UGCC in Lviv, but Father Makar decided to
return to the Orthodox Church.
Father Dymyd also earned a doctorate at the POI. He was the first rector of
the revived Lviv Theological Academy and is the founder and director of the
Institute of Canon Law at UCU and is chancellor of the Lviv archeparchy of
the UGCC.
Source:
www.orthodox.org.ua======
Orthodoc
