Patriarch Shevchuk: People on Maidan Seeking Better Life for Ukraine

People on Maidan are not there for personal gain, but for new prospects for Ukraine, said Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. In Przemysl, the hierarch answered questions about the current situation for the publication Gość Niedzielny.

“I think the very fact that the Ukrainian society has managed to demonstrate its political will is already a victory,” said the patriarch. “In the post-Soviet space, it is rare that someone not only has the guarantee of freedom, written in the Constitution and other legal acts, but can create an area of ​​freedom for himself.

“However, the truth is that Maidan cannot last forever. It will not replace the regular institutions. The people who gathered on Maidan put forward three basic demands and their implementation determines how long they will stay. The people are seeking the release of all prisoners repressed for participating in a peaceful demonstration on Maidan. This demand is, in fact, already done, though the pressure on opposition supporters in the workplace, especially in universities, remains a problem. The other part is to punish those responsible for beating protesters.

“At the moment, only the victims are known; there is no one who would take responsibility for the use of force against the people. Related to this is the demand for the resignation of the government, which is responsible for these events. This case falls within the competence of the president and maybe it will make some desired changes. Finally, there is a demand to sign the association with the European Union. There is a chance, because Mr. Yanukovych constantly repeats that he did not change his mind, that the agreement with Brussels should be signed, but according to somewhat different terms.

“This refers to the fact that it would not cause economic collapse and not deepen existing economic difficulties in the country. Obviously, there is an open question on how the contracts signed recently with Russia will influence further developments. I hope that soon we will know all of the details and economists will be able to evaluate them objectively. I hope that it does not cross out the desire of Ukraine to have an association with the EU, and hinder the future pursuit of full membership, and that the West will no longer perceive us only as a post-Soviet country.

“In Europe, much has been said about European costs, but I cannot imagine that hundreds of thousands of people came out in the winter for a demonstration for its defense. People on Maidan are not looking for personal gain, but for the prospect of a better life for the country and for future generations, because they understand that European integration is a complex long-term process.” The patriarch’s words were published on Katolytskyi Ohliadach.