His Holiness Filaret Holds Meetings in Washington, DC

22.11.2010, 13:40
His Holiness’ meetings in Washington, DC were arranged by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and its Washington DC bureau – the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS).

While Washington, DC receives many visitors from throughout the world, religious figures seem to hold a special relevance and distinguished grace.  This past week, His Holiness Filaret, Patriarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), visited Washington, DC and held a wide array of meetings with numerous governmental and non-governmental officials.   The trip coincided with His Holiness’ pastoral visits to his Ukrainian Orthodox parishes in the United States. His Holiness’ meetings in Washington, DC were arranged by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA) and its Washington DC bureau – the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS).

The purpose of the Washington component of His Holiness’ trip to the United States was to relate the current status of the UOC-KP in Ukraine, its relations with other religious denominations in Ukraine, the tactics used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate, as well as, to speak about the freedoms within Ukraine’s civil society.  His Holiness’ schedule consisted of discussions with prominent think-tank organizations such as Freedom House and the Heritage Foundation, where a roundtable discussion was held with representatives from other think-tank organizations; a lecture at American University to a class of students within the foreign service curriculum; congressional staff members in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; participation in the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation annual Truman-Reagan awards ceremony, at which Prof. Robert Conquest was awarded the distinguished medal; and, relevant meetings with officials in the U.S. Department of State and National Security Council.

Inasmuch as the Ukrainian American community is working diligently in cooperation with the Ukrainian Embassy and various governments of Ukraine to erect a memorial in Washington, DC to the victims of the Ukrainian Holodomor Genocide of 1932-1933, His Holiness Filaret visited the future site of the Memorial.  There, he was greeted by representatives of the Ukrainian community and had an opportunity to interact and answer their concerns and comments.  During a brief ceremony, the patriarch’s delegation offered prayers and blessed the future site of the Holodomor Memorial.   The UOC-KP offered to disseminate information within their parishes both in Ukraine and abroad about the need to erect a memorial in Washington, DC for the victims of the Ukrainian Holodomor.    

Other meetings during His Holiness’ three-day visit to Washington, DC included an interview on the Voice of America “Час – Time” live TV program; a roundtable discussion hosted by the Embassy of Lithuania and the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation regarding future plans of how best to memorialize the over one hundred million victims of communism; and, offered prayers and honored the great bard of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko, at his monument in Washington, DC.

The Patriarch’s delegation was comprised of:  His Holiness Filaret, Rev. Oleh Malanyuk, Rev. Victor Poliarny, and, Prof. Dmytro Stepovyk.

Ukrainian Congress Committee of America