(A short excerpt from an article published in the journal Greek-Catholic Tradition, wherein the author writes about himself and then bears brief testimony to Bishop J. Kavatsiv.)

Years of illegality and freedom

(Fr. Petro Zelenyukh)

“In those times it was established as follows: after being ordained the priest swore on the Bible not to tell anyone who, when and where ordained him.

(note: Ordination or consecration was secret and there were no documents issued by reason of safety.)

Bishop S. Dmyterko ordained me a deacon and in 1961 in Lvov Bishop J. Fedoryk ordained me a priest; this took place in some basement barricaded with big barrels and boxes.

Within a few years, when Bishop Fedoryk was arrested, he told the KGB officers to do with him what they wanted, but asked them to let him then go and die at home.

Bishop Fedoryk was buried by Bishops P. Vasylyk, J. Kavatsiv and (from priests) by me.

Concerning Bishop Kavatsiv, now in the times of freedom I have already twice been summoned to the (ecclesiastic) Tri-bunal in Lvov and I swore on the Bible that I know that Josaphat Kavatsiv is a bishop of UGCC. Every time I travelled to Karaganda to Bishop Khira, he always asked me about Bishop Kavatsiv.

Before the Tribunal I said that I could swear as many times as needed that J. Ka-vatsiv is a bishop, but I added: “You do not admit it anyway because he is from the time of illegality (and has a different spirit than you) ...”

(From the journal Г.-К.Традиція /transl.: Gr.-Cath. Tradition/ 2/08)

As regards the bishops consecrat-ed during illegality, among them is Bishop Josaphat Kavatsiv who was consecrated a bishop on 25th Novem-ber 1980 in Karaganda in Kazakh-stan. The consecrator was His Excellence Bishop Olexandr Khira.

Since Bishop Josaphat Kavatsiv is a truly Catholic bishop from the time of illegality, Card. L. Husar did not permit to receive him in the Bishops’ Synod of UGCC.

1. A testimony by  + Michailo Osidach

Glory to Jesus Christ!

Your Beatitude!

Taking into consideration my age as well as the state of my health, I feel particularly acutely my responsibility before God, with whom I may soon stand face to face, and I try as soon as possible to bear testimony to what is known to me concerning the episcopal consecration of Josaphat Kavatsiv.

For the first time I heard of Bishop Josaphat from the deceased H. E. Metropolitan Volodymyr Sternyuk and H. E. Bishop Phylymon Kurchaba. It was on 12th August 1989 AD, in the apartment of H. E. Bishop Volodymyr, in Tchkalova Street. I specially remember this day, regardless of my advanced age, because not every year in the time of illegality of our Church you could hear of a newly installed Bishop.

On that day the deceased H.E. Bishop Volodymyr said that Father Josaphat Kavatsiv was a Bishop but that he kept it secret. To my question – who was the consecrator – he replied: “His Excellence Bishop Olexandr Khira, in Kazakhstan at the time.”

Some time later, when in my personal encounter with Bishop Josaphat, in the year 2000 AD, I asked him about his episcopacy, he replied: “My time has not yet come.”

I am aware of great responsibility before God for me personally, for my nation and for the Church, and therefore the truthfulness of the above-written I confirm with my own hand.

+ Michailo Osidach

Kunyn village, Zhovkva district, Lvov region, Ukraine

19th June 2004