“Ecumenism from the bottom up: Now Vatican II is coming into effect”
“We cannot leave ecumenism in the hands of diplomats, politicians or theologians alone: we need to preach it in the parishes,” His Beatitude Svjatoslav Shevchuk,(43), Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church told Vatican Insider. Shevchuk has just arrived at St. Martha’s House in the Vatican, where he will be staying for a month, ahead of the 80th Ukrainian Holodomor Remembrance Day, the famine of 1932-1933 which claimed the lives of millions of people.
What impact has the new pontificate had on your country?
“Pope Francis is at the centre of Ukrainian people’s attention as well and it is not just Catholics that have been taking an interest in him, but Orthodox faithful and non-believers as well. I had the chance to meet Bergoglio when he was still a cardinal back in 2009, when he was names Bishop of the Eparchy of Santa María del Patrocinio en Buenos Aires: he was my direct superior because the eparchy was suffragan to the Diocese of Buenos Aires. When I left Argentina to take up my position as Major Archbishop, I gave an icon to him as a gift. He saw me in St. Martha’s House a few months ago and recognised me. He invited me to his room to show me that he had brought the icon with him to the Vatican. The most striking thing about him is his simplicity and his ability to get close to people. Many in the Ukraine have been impressed by his sobriety and austerity. Here in the Ukraine, bishops from the various Churches are often accused of being too attacked to wealth and coming across as oligarchs; of protecting a Church for the rich. Francis represents a Church that is close to the people, to the poor and which announces the Lord’s Gospel.”
What are relations between Catholics and Orthodox faithful like in the Ukraine today?
“Our situation is a very complex one and our Christianity is very fragmented: only we Catholics are present here with three Churches sui iuris. The Latin Bishops’ Conference, the Eparchy of Mukachevo which is directly dependent on the Holy See and the Greek Catholic Church. We are trying to be witnesses of unity amongst ourselves above all. As is known, the Orthodox Church is fragmented too: a part from the “canonical” Church which is in communion with the Patriarchate of Moscow, there are two other Orthodox Churches as well. We do all that we can to collaborate. There is a Council of Cardinals and some Ukrainian religious communities which make it possible for Jews, Muslims and the various Christian denominations to adopt common positions. Orthodox Churches in the Ukraine do not often understand why the Greek Catholic Church exists. They see us as a geopolitical project of the past. But there are some positive signs too. Many Christians are tired of divisions and are asking for unity. There is a growing ecumenism from the bottom up.”
Is it true that sometimes Christian Churches do not even recognise the validity of each other’s baptism rites?
“I said some time ago that in the Ukraine we are guilty of leaving ecumenism in the hands of diplomats, politicians or theologians. Now we need to preach it in the parishes and get faithful used to the idea that they must not do anything that may put their Christian brothers in a difficult situation. It needs to be priests and confessors who preach this. Christian Churches in the Ukraine, in the former Soviet Union remained separate from the global ecumenical movement; “frozen” almost. Only now are we Catholics beginning to put the principles of the Second Vatican Council into effect. At the same time, the Orthodox needs to act (on a pastoral level) on decisions that were taken a long time ago, including the mutual recognition of the sacraments. But to go back to your question, it is not rare for Catholics to be baptised a second time in order to marry an Orthodox spouse. But this is not reciprocal and we Catholics certainly do not do this.”
You are a member of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops. Pope Francis made public reference to the Orthodox practice of “oeconomia” which allows a second marriage. What is your view on this?
“This practice reflects the differences in theology and canonical law that exist between the Catholics and the Orthodox. While Catholic theology and law see the two spouses as the marriage celebrants, with both of them making a commitment before God, the Orthodox Church does not see the two spouses as forming the marriage contract but the priest who celebrates this. Furthermore, on the basis of the Gospel passage in which Jesus says: “Whoever dismisses and repudiates and divorces his wife, except on the grounds of unfaithfulness (sexual immorality), causes her to commit adultery...”, the Bishop of the Orthodox Church in question may give permission for a second union to take place. This is after making a pastoral and practical – not a canonical – judgement. I hope that the Synod will help pastors: I do not think it is about changing practices, theology or canonical law. It is above all about trying to find a middle ground with those Christians who really do believe and are asking for their situation to be recognised as “lawful”. We need to work out how to help them.”
What is the importance of the celebration which will take place in the Basilica of Santa Sofia – which is a historical reference point for Ukrainians - in Rome on 23 December?
“Ten years ago, John Paul II said that that genocide which touched the very fabric of humanity was not only an event that regards the Ukraine. It is important to commemorate it, seeing as though these people were denied remembrance. Millions starved to death between 1932 and 1933. But I wish to stress that this famine did not result from natural causes. Soviet troops confiscated all grain and foodstuffs. It was an artificially induced famine. The way I see it, it was a very low cost weapon of mass destruction, an atrocity that makes one’s blood run cold even today. The communists sold the grain to Western countries. Some of these countries paid, knowing that the price to pay was the starvation of the Ukrainian people. I hope this will be an occasion for everyone to remember and to reflect on the meaning of justice on an international level too. I have invited all Ukrainians to light a candle in memory of the victims of this enormous human tragedy.”
Andrea TORNIELLI
