Response to M. Bendyk, head of the Lvov seminary,

                                                to his 14-page letter

Dear Mr Bendyk,

as for Your theological criticism one can see that You have learnt to juggle with terms very well and You know how to sidestep direct questions very adroitly and how to avoid the essence of the problem. Here we would like to point out just a few things. First, divination by pendulum is a sin indeed, and the pendulum is not swung by some radio waves but by demons. Similarly, Your defence of Husar’s heresies concerning the primacy and infallibility of the Pope is unconvincing. Husar says a schismatic heresy that he is not under (sub) Peter. You defend him with a phrase saying that we do not know Eastern theology. As for the Orthodox theology, You are right that it does not acknowledge the primacy of the Pope (sub Petro). However, this is the Orthodox view, not the Catholic one! Next, Your defence of Husar’s heresy concerning the infallibility of the Pope – concretely that he cannot deal with the questions of faith and morals infallibly by himself, i.e. ex cathedra – is even more non-Catholic! The Vatican Council, which You are referring to, confirms exactly what we uphold, i.e. that the Pope has the right to formulate the infallible truths of faith and morals: a) by himself; b) along with the Council (but the Council without the Pope cannot do that). Unfortunately, L. Husar clearly denies this teaching of the Vatican Council.

Concerning L. Husar and his attitude towards homosexuality, we think that it is not necessary to comment on it again. Apart from that, there are still some witnesses of what took place in USA where L. Husar was a priest.

The question of presumption of innocence

We quote from Your letter: “Moreover, in accordance with the presumption of innocence which is in force His Beatitude Lubomyr, whom they have accused, is considered innocent until the court proceedings disprove it.”

Response: First we would like to remind You again that we do not excommunicate anyone from the Church, nor do we curse anyone, nor do we refer to Church and administrative laws which, all the same, nobody from among the hierarchy observes. We just promulgate in the name of God, by authority of the prophetical and apostolic office, i.e. on the basis of God’s laws, that L. Husar, bishops of the UGCC, and unfortunately even You, have excluded Yourselves from the Church, separated from Christ and fallen under God’s anathema – curse – by reason of proclaiming a different gospel. Now we want to ask You where this presumption of innocence was when in 2004 L. Husar blackened us before the state authorities and demanded our deportation and prohibition of entry in Ukraine for us and 20 innocent students. Where was this presumption of innocence when the OSBM leadership accused us of non-existent offences and without a lawsuit and without giving us an opportunity to defend ourselves dismissed us from OSBM? Where was presumption of innocence when the Congregation for the Oriental Churches was purposefully silent all through the year and then without a trial and counter to the canon law immediately acknowledged the decrees of the so-called dismissal from OSBM? Where was presumption of innocence when at first the Apostolic Signatura accepted our appeal, appointed an advocate and began a trial, but after about one year it wrote to us that the matter was so clear that there was no need of any trial and it condemned us; without trial and without giving us an opportunity to defend ourselves it rejected our appeal? Where was presumption of innocence when we, members of an order of pontifical right, were judged and “excommunicated” by the eparchial court of M. Koltun – without competence and without giving us an opportunity to defend ourselves?

Moreover, we want to ask You: Where was Your presumption of innocence when all religious journals were defaming us and killing us morally before there was a trial? This moral liquidation of us by means of blackening in the religious mass media lasts up to this time. We ask You: Where is law, where is justice? Where is Christian ethics and Christian love? All this only testifies to the fact that L. Husar and his people here in Ukraine (and also in the Vatican) do not have anything in common with the Christian God and their formal heresy is only a consequence of their internal apostasy. We ask You: Will the religious mass media give us an opportunity to publish our attitude as well? Are at least You able to give direct answers to the questions which the students, teachers and faithful of the UGCC in Drohobych transmitted in written form to Archbishop C. Vasi?? Why was Archbishop Cyril Vasi? not able to answer them? He declared hypocritically that the Holy Father would not deal with trivialities. We ask You: Is it a triviality to dissolve a religious delegature with 28 members? Is it a triviality to hold a show trial with six religious who have perpetual vows? Is it a triviality – 9 bishops and a parallel Synod of the UGCC? Is it a triviality if in the whole Catholic Church the atheistic theology of HCT is being proclaimed which denies the Divinity of Christ and historicity of Christ’s resurrection?

Dear Mr Bendyk, realize that by Your deeds and by the attitude of Your heart You Yourself have separated from Christ and drawn down upon Yourself God’s curse – anathema. If You die in this state, You will be eternally condemned. If only this would not happen, if only You would become converted.

Glory to Jesus Christ!

                                          + Metod?j OSBM

                                          + Eliáš OSBM

                                          + Markian OSBM

                                          + Samuel OSBM

                                                                                                                                         Lvov, 10th October 2009

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

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