Letter to the Prime Minister of Ukraine

Lvov, 23rd December 2009                                                                                            Prime Minister

                                                                                                                                       Yuliya V. Tymoshenko

Dear Mrs Tymoshenko,

on 5th and 28th October 2009 we wrote You open letters, wherein we informed You of an internal crisis in the UGCC which resulted in the establishment of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC).

In these letters we likewise informed You about religious discrimination on the part of the State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions practised at the instigation of ex-Card. Husar.

On 25th-27th November 2009 we demonstrated against violation of the laws of Ukraine and against religious discrimination in front of the Parliament and Cabinet of Ministers (CM) of Ukraine. That time we transmitted to You already the third letter with a request for cessation of religious discrimination and for registration of a new religious organization UOGCC. We have not received a reply to any of these letters up to this day!

We hereby ask You again that You stop religious discrimination and bring the State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions to observe state laws as well as that You do all in Your power for the sake of registration of the new religious organization UOGCC.

The State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions unlawfully denies registration of the UOGCC on the strength of a defamatory letter by ex-Card. Husar (N. P-09/294 dated 4th June 2009), from which it cites false and distorted information in its official document. Head of the Committee, Mr J. Reshetnikov, does not conform to the laws of Ukraine but founds his negative attitude on controversial canonical decrees and on the canon law (CCEO) which he interprets subjectively and erroneously.

We would like to point out that the Church in Ukraine is separate from state, and therefore intra-canonical decrees and rights of one religious organization cannot restrict the rights and duties of another religious organization (which is independent of the former).

Denial on the part of the State Committee, concerning registration of the UOGCC statute, was biased and outside the Committee’s competence.

 In compliance with point 2 of Regulation of the State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions, validated by Regulation of CM of Ukraine 14/02/2007 N. 201, it is defined that in its activities the State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions abides by the Constitution and laws of Ukraine as well as by regulations issued by the President of Ukraine and by the Parliament of Ukraine which are adopted in compliance with the Constitution and laws of Ukraine, with the acts of the Cabinet and with this Regulation.

In spite of that, in its letter N. 7/2-19-107 of 26th June 2009 the State Committee refers to the Catholic canon law (CCEO) which, however, concerns only members of the religious organization UGCC.

It is quite appropriate not to agree with the statement of the State Committee, since the procedure for registering the statutes (regulations) of religious organizations is exactly defined in Article 14 of Act N. 987-XII of 23rd April 1991 and this article contains no demands for necessary approval from a competent ecclesiastical authority in the matter of registration of a religious organization. So in this case the State Committee committed a violation of law (Part 5 Art. 5 of Act N. 987-XII of 23rd April 1991), according to which granting of whatever privileges to or restriction of one religion, denomination or religious organization in relation to others is inadmissible.

The statement of the State Committee that the word “Catholic” can be used in the name of an organization only with the approval of the Pope or a competent hierarch of the Catholic Church is false too. The word “catholic” means “universal” and no organization in the world has privatized it! In Poland, in the Czech Republic or in other states there is e.g. the Old Catholic Church, which is independent of the Catholic Church and is not subordinated to the Pope. A parallel is several Orthodox Churches in Ukraine. All of them bear the name “Orthodox” but are independent of one another.

Moreover, even the statement that the citizens of the Czech Republic, R. Špi?ík and A. Dohnal, perform religious activity without the necessary permission of state authorities and thus break the laws of Ukraine is a lie and conscious defamation. The citizens named do have permission for religious activity issued in compliance with the Ukrainian legislation in force.

Dear Mrs Tymoshenko, it is more than 130 days since a prayer demonstration started in front of the Regional Council in Lvov against violation of the Ukrainian laws on the part of the State Committee on Matters of Nationalities and Religions. On 23rd-24th December 2009 there will already be the second meeting – prayer manifestation – in front of the Parliament and Cabinet in Kiev!

You are a candidate for President of Ukraine. President, however, must first of all be a guarantor of civil rights and of observation of the state laws. Therefore prove that You are worthy of the presidential office. Stop violation of the laws of Ukraine and religious discrimination. Do all in Your power for the sake of lawful registration of the UOGCC. Otherwise You overtly prove Your direct participation in religious discrimination and in violation of the Ukrainian laws. Such person, however, cannot be President! 

Yours respectfully,

Bishop M.V.Hitiuk OSBM, Secretary of Synod of the UOGCC

Copies to:

-          President of Ukraine, V. Yushchenko

-         Members of the Parliament of Ukraine

Attachment:

- Booklet “Demonstration in support of registration of the UOGCC”

- DVD with a video recording of abduction of a postulant from a monastery organized by Head of State Department on Religious Matters of the Regional Council in Lvov + a written commentary

Address: Synod of the UOGCC, 3 Sosnova St., Lvov - Bryukhovychi, 79491, Ukraine

www.uogcc.org.ua, www.community.org.ua; pidhirci.community@gmail.com