Response to the article in “Nova Zorya” N. 21

The religious journal Nova Zorya published a libellous article (21st August 2009) directed against registration of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC). The official author is the press service of the Ivano-Frankivsk eparchy of the UGCC which expresses the attitude of the heretical structure of the UGCC. The heretical structure refers to the statement of the state authorities.

Quotations from the letter by Mr J. Reshetnikov, Head of the State Committee of Ukraine on Matters of Nationalities and Religions, are evidence that he became an instrument of the heretical Church hierarchy and that is why he also distorts the state laws. Quotations from the canon law likewise are purposefully distorted, and from the contents of the letter – when he speaks about a “sect” – it follows that he shares the false attitude of the apostates. The statement about gross violation of the Ukrainian laws is absolutely false. Defamed bishops of the UOGCC have a due religious visa. The Synod of the UOGCC appealed against the unlawful denial of registration to appropriate authorities.

The authors of the article consciously concealed the essence of the discord in the UGCC. For at the root there are public heresies which deny the very essence not only of the UGCC but of whole Christianity. Head of the UGCC, Card. Husar, denies the eternity of hell, approves of homosexuality, divines by pendulum and even casts doubt upon the Divinity of Christ. The heresy consists in conscious concealment of the fact that Jesus is God. Card. Husar emphasizes that Jesus is just a man. He ridicules the mystery of the Incarnation by comparing it to a pagan theatrical attraction called “deus ex machina” (pg. 48, Discussions with His Beatitude L. Husar: On Postconfessional Christianity, First edition). About the Holy Virgin he says: “She was a good wife, a good neighbour... She was one of them and that is all.” (pg. 51) He even compares the Holy Virgin to a non-existent (impure) woman from Hindu myths. The teaching of the Church concerning the Virgin Mary is: “She is the All-Pure Virgin and the Birthgiver of God in proper and true sense.” (St. John Damascene)

Question: What is the difference between the present Husar’s UGCC and the UOGCC (Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church)?

Answer: The UOGCC has the teaching and tradition of the UGCC, but without the heresies and spirit of apostasy of Card. L. Husar.

The authors of the article in Nova Zorya call the UOGCC a sect several times! It is a defamation and lie! Consciously and purposefully calling the orthodox Catholic bishops and religious sisters who renounced Husar’s heresies a sect is a testimony that the main fault for the piratical action in the monastery in Bryukhovychi on 31st July 2009 lies with the Church hierarchy. Before the state authorities this hierarchy falsely presents the orthodox Catholic bishops, sisters and believers as a dangerous sect which must be liquidated (cf. statement of J. Milyan in a television broadcast on 13th August 2009). It is rather the group subordinated to the new teaching introduced by L. Husar which should be called a sect. This new teaching is his heresies by reason of which he has excommunicated himself from the Catholic Church and fallen under God’s curse as an overt heretic! Everyone who is in conscious unity with him is likewise excommunicated from the Church. So we are not a sect, but Husar’s adherents are!

The UOGCC is headed by Archbishop M. Osidach, Bishop M. Hitiuk OSBM is the Secretary – both of them are Ukrainians. Bishop Eliáš OSBM, Metod?j OSBM and Samuel OSBM are members of the standing Synod of the UOGCC. Information about their faithfulness in the fight for the purity of faith, and that already in the past, can be obtained on www.community.org.ua (Letters from UA and the book Four Words from Ukraine). It is really a paragon of demagogy and purposeful lie, and even a sin against the Holy Spirit, to state that their proclamation and defence of the true Catholic teaching is “subversion of the foundations of the faith”. It is Card. Husar who subverts the faith by his heresies!

The whole article is an exemplary model of manipulation; it is full of defamation, abusive language and lies. It has fully revealed Church pharisaism and hypocrisy. Its authors and the apostatical hierarchy standing behind them have the spirit of the wicked vinedressers from the Gospel, who killed God’s servants, prophets and in the end even the Son of God Himself. In the present time they kill the bleeding Body of Christ – the Church – and to them refers Jesus’ word: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Mt 21:42) “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (v. 44) “Therefore I tell you (current pharisees and high priests): the kingdom of God will be taken away from you.” (v. 43)

At the close of the article the authors put a question: “Can the blind lead the blind?”

We ask: Who is the blind? Is it us, bishops of the UOGCC who defend the true faith, or Card. L. Husar who proclaims heresies?

   + Eliáš OSBM

   + Markian OSBM

   + Metod?j OSBM

   + Samuel OSBM

                                                                                                               Lvov-Bryukhovychi, 5th September 2009