Christmas pastoral letter of the

                              orthodox Catholic Synod of the UGCC

Dear priests, religious brothers and sisters and all the faithful,

this Christmas we want to commemorate Christ’s birth not as a mere historical event, but we desire that this birth be realized in our hearts too. It is our desire that Christ may be born and dwell in our hearts through faith. If Christ were born a thousand times in Bethlehem, but not in your soul, you would be eternally lost! God’s Word says that “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). How are we to receive Christ? Through faith. This saving faith, however, entails your standing in true light and revealing before God your past which is sunk in sin. The greatest sin is the unbelief in Christ and then, your living without God. “All have sinned, everyone has turned to his own way.” (cf. Isa 53:6) Following one’s own way, disregarding God’s voice – conscience in us – and consciously going the way of egoism, consciously letting oneself be deceived – this is the way ending in perdition. Not mentioning the fact that you kept neither the commandments of the Decalogue nor other God’s laws. God’s Word says even to you today: “All have sinned ... the wages of sin is death.” (Rom 3:23; 6:23) God became man to save you from the punishment for sin which had fallen upon you. Jesus takes this punishment on Himself. He redeemed you not with silver or gold but with His precious blood. Bear in mind: The almighty God became a defenceless child, that you may become a son of God, an heir of God’s kingdom. This is Christmas. God loves you and has given you the greatest gift: His own Son. In Him you have eternal life and in Him you also have true happiness on this earth. If you admit your sin before God and receive Jesus with faith, Jesus is born in your soul. It makes no difference whether you are a child, or an adult man or woman.

However, if you have received this life, God’s enemy, the devil, will seek to kill your new life. He was seeking to do so through Herod who wanted to kill the new-born Saviour, and he is likewise seeking to do so through the present-day Herods who will try to deprive you of this most precious treasure.

On this occasion we have to repeat a few painful truths concerning the current situation in the UGCC. Within the latest months the faithful have been exposed to systematic attacks of lie, whether by means of mendacious pastoral letters, which the priests were forced to read out, or by means of mendacious articles in the Greek-Catholic journals, or even by means of television broadcasts.

What is the truth? Before you as well as before God we put the essential question: Does Card. L. Husar proclaim heresies or not? The answer is clear. It was given by Card. Husar himself. In his book “Discussions with His Beatitude L. Husar: On Postconfessional Christianity” as well as in a broadcast on Radio Voskresinya Card. Husar utters 8 heresies for which he has already been automatically excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and is not even a Christian any more. It makes no difference that he continues his office and pretends that nothing happened. Regrettably, we have to bring into notice that all his Synod has united with his heresies. All these bishops were twice publicly called to renounce these heresies. As they did not do so, they too are excommunicated both before God and before the Church. They have fallen under the curse of anathema according to Gal 1:8-9. This is reality. We did not condemn them. They did so themselves; they betrayed Christ as well as the Church.

With the purpose that we may defend the salvific doctrine and Church Tradition, we received episcopal consecration, and in unity with several other bishops, perceiving the seriousness of the situation, an orthodox Catholic Synod of the UGCC was established this year. We announced this resolution of ours to the Holy Father. The Ukrainian Church has thus found herself in a situation which now puts each member of the UGCC before a decision: One will either be in unity with the heresies of Card. L. Husar and his Synod, and thus automatically fall under God’s curse and excommunication from the Church of Christ, or one will choose Christ and true saving faith defended by us, the orthodox Catholic Synod.

We – the new Synod – are in true unity with the Holy Father. For this position of ours we are being stained, maligned and persecuted by the heretical Synod. Supposing you also confess your belief in Christ and maintain unity in the faith which was lived and preserved by your parents and grandparents, you will be persecuted by the heretical Synod the same as we are. In these hard times you urgently need true Catholic shepherds who preach Christ’s Gospel and not a heretical teaching. This is a question of eternity! It is painful, but we had to reveal to you the core of the whole problem, the reason why mendacious pamphlets and items are being continually written and various defaming and liquidating campaigns launched against us.

We really have your eternal salvation at heart. We have at heart the spiritual awakening and resurrection of all Ukraine. We have at heart the renewal of Christianity all over the world. We are looking with pain at the mass apostasy from Christianity, which is caused not just by pressures from without, but first of all by the spirit of betrayal and apostasy within the Church. This spirit is liquidating not only our UGCC but also the Western Catholic Church and other Christians.

For more than four years we have been waging a struggle against the internal poison in the Church, which is so-called historic-critical theology and false respect for other religions. This spirit of apostasy is penetrating even into the religious journals in Ukraine, such as Misionar, Arka, Meta, Nova Zorya and others. The common believers cannot distinguish this hidden poison. This spiritual poison is served above all in the Catholic seminaries. That was why we appealed to the whole Church for an effort at the internal reform, starting with the new formation of the future clergy. We have proposed a few concrete models. Apart from that, we have presented a model for the renewal of the individual, families and parishes through celebration of the seventh day, Sunday. We pointed out the pattern set by the community of the early Christians, as well as the model of Christian life put into practice by St. Basil the Great. It is a living Church which must be built on four pillars, namely: 1) common prayer; 2) the apostles’ teaching; 3) fraternal community and 4) liturgy (see Acts 2:42).

We were obliged to draw attention to the abuses in the Latin Church too, as well as to the concrete people responsible for them, e.g. Card. M. Vlk in the Czech Republic who approves of the heresies of the priest Prof. T. Halík which have an impact on the whole Church. We likewise warned of the offence of Prefect of Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Card. I. Dias, in that he is responsible for the publication of so-called Hindu Bible, which destroys the saving faith at the root.

First of all, however, we have at heart the spiritual renewal and spiritual resurrection in Ukraine. Therefore we appealed to the deputies, too, to take certain concrete steps. One thing was that we reacted to the legalization of diviners, warning that God’s Word and Church Tradition treat divination as an extremely grave sin which is punished with a curse to the third and fourth generation. We demanded prohibition of this law. Another thing we pointed to was homoeopathy which is founded on magic, and those who use it are likewise put under a curse. Among religious it is being propagated, along with various modern psychologies, most by the so-called Head of the Patriarchal Commission for Religious. This all destroys the living faith and true spiritual life. At the same time we warned of the danger of legalization of homosexuality, which is a consequence of apostasy from the living God and of opening oneself through magic and divination to demonic powers and unclean spirits, as in the case of the individual so in the whole society. After diviners and homoeopathy comes homosexuality and after homosexuality come God’s punishments – a fire from heaven. Therefore the Ukrainian nation must repent in this field. Then instead of a curse God can give His blessing. Before the election we concretely asked the Ukrainian deputies to legalize a Christian programme of the nation’s renewal, because since the times of St. Vladimir Ukraine has been a Christian country.

We proposed that the mass media should be prohibited from advertising pornography, violence and occultism; that TV and radio should broadcast programmes which form and educate especially the youth and place restriction on such ones which corrupt both the individual and the society.

We demanded that there should be a definite law established on sects and religions. Sects are groups of people who do not confess Jesus Christ as true God. The spirit that is behind the sects works destructively upon the human mind.

We demanded moral protection – restrictions on gaming machines, controls on alcohol sale, a fight against narcotics and immorality. By means of cultural and educational programmes it is necessary to protect the defenceless youth against all current destructive influences.

Next we proposed elaboration of a law on renewal of family, support of natality, restriction on divorces and abortions. As for schools, we proposed establishment of principles of natural and Christian morals as well as facilitation of greater cooperation between schools and the Church.

In addition, what plays an important role is propagation of Christian values in the mass media – TV, films, the press.

We expressed the need that the deputies of Ukraine should call upon all Christian Churches to join in an effort to transform the nation into a Christian and moral one. It is necessary to realize that no economy, psychology, philosophy, sociology or political science will remove hatred, vengefulness and evil from the human heart. This can be done only through genuine conversion to Jesus Christ and through receiving of His teaching of truth and love. This will guarantee true happiness not only here on earth but also after death. May the Ukraine that will receive Christ become a pattern of spiritual and moral renewal for all Europe!

However, if we want the Ukrainian nation to be truly Christian, the Church must become the salt and the light again. She must preach the saving faith in the living Jesus. Unfortunately, the apostatic hierarchy does not fulfil this task but does quite the opposite. Therefore no genuine Christian can be in unity with heresies which are a betrayal of Christ and lead to eternal perdition.

A historic moment has come. Each of you personally must realize that it is for you to decide – whether you will receive life or death, whether you will open yourself for a spiritual resurrection and blessing or a curse. Therefore God is asking you at this moment:

Do you receive My Son, Jesus Christ, who became man out of His love for you to save you, as your only Lord, God and Saviour?   Yes, I do.

Do you believe that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, died for you and your sins?   Yes, I do.

If you believed in your heart, now confess your faith with your mouth before another Christian! At this moment you have a new life. God’s Word says about you: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God.” (1Jn 1:12) You are a child of God, you are an heir of God’s kingdom. All that Jesus has obtained belongs to you as well.

And now we, the orthodox bishops, are asking you too:

Do you renounce all heresies proclaimed by Card. L. Husar and his apostatic Synod and do you consciously separate from their anathema?  Yes, I do.

If you renounced these heresies, do not return to them any more, even if you should be enticed by some religious or priest.

Do not fear persecution; rather fear a betrayal which could rob you of the most precious pearl which the Heavenly Father has put with love in your heart today. This pearl is the living Jesus. Rejoice at this spiritual birth! Even through this step of your faith you make the spiritual resurrection of all Ukraine possible!

                      Christ is born!

                      Let us glorify Him!

                                 Bishops of the orthodox Catholic Synod

                                                          + Mikhailo

                                                          Head of the UGCC

                                                          + Teodozij

                                                          Vicar of Head of the UGCC

                                                          + Markian OSBM

                                                          Secretary of Synod of the UGCC

                                 and other members of the orthodox Synod

                                                         + Josaphat OSBM

                                                         + Metod?j OSBM

                                                         + Eliáš OSBM

                                                         + Samuel

                                                         + Basil

                                                         + Timotej

                                                                                                                           Pidhirtsi, 25th December 2008