Greek Catholic Patriarch Sviatoslav speaks his mind

(RISU) - During the first three months of his rule, the new head of the UGCC gave more than a dozen interviews on various issues of church life. For leaders the first 100 days is a time for reflection, a period for making conclusions. On this occasion, RISU journalists and the periodical Patriarchate met with Patriarch Sviatoslav to hear his evaluation of the first one hundred days in power and his views on other important church issues.

— The first one hundred days have passed since your enthronement (March 27, 2011), which is a traditional time for secular leaders to summarize their accomplishments. How were the first 100 days as head of church?

— These first one hundred days were very busy. There were two important synods: the Metropolitan Synod of Bishops of Kyiv-Halych Metropolitanate of the church and the permanent synod, held in Rome, where I first presided as head of the church. The meeting of the permanent synod, which actually helps the head of the church in the intersynodal period, was devoted to preparing for the Patriarchal Synod, which is to be held this fall in Brazil. So these first one hundred days were a time to make some very interesting administrative, synodal steps.

In addition, during this time I made a pastoral visit to Argentina and Italy. In Italy I also met with the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference of Italian Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco and Vicar of Rome Cardinal Vallini. Since the enthronement, I have been in permanent contact with Pope Benedict XVI and with the Apostolic Capital. In fact, there have already been three such trips, three meetings.

In these one hundred days I consecrated a church – a newly built church in the Vinnytsia region – and founded a new monastery. Just yesterday we laid the cornerstone for the construction of the Holy Family Sisters Convent, here in Kyiv near our cathedral.

An important part of my pastoral activity was constant communication with journalists. I thank God that there is interest in our church. I was very pleased to discover the Ukrainian media space and thus be able to speak to very many people who are unable to communicate directly with me. Through the media I was able to come closer to them.

I wrote several pastoral epistles: to the youth, to the priests, as well as responses to questions posed by the Ukrainian public. Also, I am pleased to begin systematic work with the youth: in Kyiv there was an interesting meeting at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy; in Lviv I had the opportunity to meet with those responsible for pastoral care of youth from all eparchies. And much, much more.

— Culture experts say there is no question more difficult than the question of identity. Greek Catholics hear many definitions of their church, for example, that we are Eastern rite Catholics, or Eastern Catholics, or Orthodox in communion with Rome, or maybe even other formulations. Which wording do you think is the most accurate?

– By the way, I am currently reading a book by Ivan Dziuba "Injection of Darkness." There are very interesting thoughts about the issue of identity, which is complicated, multifaceted, and very dynamic. Speaking of our identity, I want to stress two points.

First, our identity is the identity of Kyivan Christianity during Volodymyr's baptism, when the newly established church on the lands of Kyivan Rus’ was a subsidiary of the Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and, on the other hand, in communion with the Apostolic See. Our identity is a testimony of the church when Christianity was not divided. Though after all the dramatic events, this identity of our church faced various dangers throughout history and sometimes was not even recognized as a church.

Today, in the third millennium, we also strive to live this identity. So, on the one hand, we strive to further discover and learn about the roots of the church, which was born from St. Volodymyr’s baptism, which is a national church, which is a church of the Eastern tradition according to not only its rites but also its spirituality, canonical and theological heritage. But on the other hand, it is a church that cherishes its communion with the Roman Apostolic See.

Second, identity is something very multifaceted, constantly evolving, transforming. Our identity in the present historical period is experiencing a period of development and transformation; that is, on the one hand, we want to the church to be open. Open not only to all who live in Ukraine today, but also to various nations, nationalities, even different religions. But, on the other hand, we also want to be open to interchurch and interethnic dialogue, because we understand that Kyivan Christianity from the very beginning strived to be a powerful center of Christianity on par with Rome, Constantinople, and later Moscow.

So I think that today our development faces some challenges also for the interchurch dialogue. I think that today the Lord God himself will call us to show just how important and relevant Volodymyr's baptism is for ecumenical Christianity...

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