To Deputies of the Ukrainian Parliament,

the authors of the bill against

extrasensory individuals and diviners:

Pavlo Unhuryan, Valeriy Dubil, Juriy But,

Hryhoriy Smityukh, Svitlana Shmelova,

Jevhen Tsarkov, Mykola Rudchenko

Dear Sirs and Madam,

we are grateful for Your bill of prohibition against the activities of extrasensory individuals, healers, cartomancers, chiromancers and fortune-tellers. The “service” of these deceivers causes really great moral, mental and spiritual harm both to the individual and to the society. This phenomenon was widely known as early as the times of Moses, about 1000 years before Christ. In the name of God, Moses forbade his people under pain of punishment – and even under pain of death – to participate in whatever way in the practices of these deceivers. Similarly, in the Middle Ages when these practices became rampant and began to disintegrate the society these deceivers were punished with the severest penalties. In fact, one fortune-teller is capable of setting the whole town at odds. She suggestively blames innocent people by telling a particular person that they did him harm, or suggestively foretells him bad fortune. About ten years ago, Czech television broadcasted a documentary film about a foreigner working in the Czech Republic who visited a fortune-teller together with his father. The fortune-teller suggestively foretold the son a terrible future. Soon afterwards, the father committed suicide, leaving a parting letter where he explained that he sacrificed his life for his son. The son lodged an accusation against the fortune-teller with the court, but she suffered no harm! Another fortune-teller in Slovakia likewise foretold a certain mother that her child was going to face a hard future. The desperate mother was so much tormented by the terrible thought of her child’s future that she finally killed the child. Before the court she said that she had thus wanted to save him from the great future suffering. The mother was sentenced to prison – but not so the fortune-teller! In Lvov in Ukraine, about 5 years ago, a fortune-teller visited an old couple and demanded that they should pay him 4.000 hryvnas by the next day, otherwise the old man would die. Since the old couple did not have so much money, the old man resolved to go to confession at least before he would die. Mercifully, the priest, who was well acquainted with those deceivers, assured him that nothing bad would happen to him. We could mention numbers of similar deceits and family misfortunes. These are often appalling cases.

Dear deputies, You deserve much credit both before God and before the nation! In fact, the practices of extrasensory individuals and diviners bring down a curse on the whole society, which continues to the fourth generation. Your step protects many people from great misfortune and at the same time opens the whole Ukrainian society to God’s blessing. Would that You were joined by as many deputies as possible so that the law may be enforced. We send our blessing to You and to all deputies who will join You, and we pray for all of You.

            Christ is risen!

                        Bishops of the UOGCC

+ Markian OSBMr

+ Samuel OSBMr

+ Metod?j OSBMr

+ Eliáš OSBMr

Lvov (Ukraine), 15th April 2010

Copies to:

-         President of Ukraine

-         Deputies of the Ukrainian Parliament