His Holiness

Benedict XVI

Supreme Pontiff

                      Profession of subordination to the Pope and to the

                                        orthodox Catholic Synod

Your Holiness,

recently we have received a letter from the administrator of the Buchach-Chortkiv eparchy Fr. D. Hryhorak OSBM, wherein he asks us to publicly declare our subordination to You, to Card. L. Husar and to his Synod.

As we felt certain manipulation, we approached a canonist and doctors of theology in the field of dogmatics. They informed us in brief: Card. L. Husar overtly proclaims these heresies:

he casts doubt upon the Divinity of Christ

he casts doubt upon the Virginity of the Mother of God

he casts doubt upon the eternity of hell

he propagates occultism and syncretism

he divines by pendulum

he allows homosexual activity and approves of doctrinal and moral relativism

he casts doubt upon the primacy and infallibility of the Pope

he propagates reincarnation

So the UGCC (Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church) in Ukraine is in an extraordinary situation. It witnesses overt apostasy from Christ and from the Church. The one who makes unity with Card. L. Husar and his heresies falls under the same punishment as Card. L. Husar.

After this theological information we appealed to Msgr. Ivan Yurkovych, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, for advice on what to do in this situation. Unfortunately, we received no reply, wherefore we had to take the full responsibility. In the “Declaration” enclosed we declare absolute subordination to You, Your Holiness, and to the orthodox Catholic Synod of the UGCC under Major Archbishop Mikhailo Osidach.

We also want to inform You that we have called upon men and women religious of the UGCC in Ukraine to decide for the orthodox teaching and to publicly dissociate themselves from heresies. This step requires real heroism on their part, but this is what Jesus Christ desires!

Your Holiness, with the approaching Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of Christ, we wish You that on the pattern of St. Joseph You protect the defenceless Child Jesus in the souls of His little ones against Herod.

We ask You for Your Christmas blessing.

Your sisters of the contemplative monastery of St. Elias the Prophet

19th December 2008

Bryukhovychi – Ukraine

Enclosure (pgs. 2-3):

Declaration of 58 religious sisters from 5 religious houses, including signatures (Bryukhovychi, Lvov, Tysmenytsya, Stryi, Probizhna)

Copies to:

Cardinals and Bishops of the Catholic Church

                             Declaration of faithfulness to the Pope and to the

                                            orthodox Catholic Synod

Before God, before You, Your Holiness, and before the whole Church we, contemplative sisters of Saint Elias the Prophet Monastery and its four subordinate monasteries, declare: We profess subordination to You, Your Holiness, and to the orthodox Catholic Synod of the UGCC, and at the same time we refuse to unite with the heresies of Card. L. HUsar and his Synod.

Signatures (58 sisters):