POPE'S PLANNED VISIT TO UKRAINE

[NORRYM]

With the death of the Ukrainian Uniate Catholic Church {UUCC] head, Cardinal Myroslav Lyubachivskiy December 15, 2000, a new approch to Rome may be in the works. While the Cardinal was living, there was an impasse on the Pope vis-a-vis the UUCC front. The Cardinal, a proponent of unsverving loyalty to the Pope, was put incommunicado by the strong UUCC faction, of mostly lay people, which demanded that he [the Cardinal] accept, the non-sanctioned by Rome, title of Patriarch. Thus, the UUCC-POPE rift was marked by the absence of of a direct link at the highest level. A Synod has been called by the UUCC, for January, 2001, for the purpose of selecting a successor. This may be one of the more stormy Synods, as many of the ensuing problems due to the rift will have to be surfaced. If there was a viable mechanism to submit the proposed Initiative to the Synod, it would contribute to a great coupe. emkay/12/27/00

[NORRYM]

This thread is in the process of dying on the vine. There are two reasonts to explain the sad state: [1] Wasted time with the, already alluded to, MEANDERING SAGES - they merely used the thread for ego gratification, [2] The GENERAL APATHY to get involved in controversial issues. In the first reason case, I take the blame for not weeding out the leeches early on - if one has nothing substantial to contribute, pro or con, and merely produces one-liners and smirks, he/she should not be wellcomed to seek home on this thread. In the second reason case, I appeal to that segment of our inteligentsia which is close to Lviv circles, connected with the UUCC hiararchy. Isn't anyone from that segment acquainted with these DISUSSION BOARDS? If there are, I challenge them to join the thread!
emkay/12/29/00

[Edited by NORRYM on 30th December 2000 at 06:24]

[Irena]

What about Pop? Does he still plan to visit Ukraine?

[NORRYM]

Absent any interest in the proposed initiative, its fruit faces a stillbirth. The timing is crucial since it [the timing] is tied to the Pope's visit to Ukraine June 21-24, 2001. The initiative would result in handing to the Pope a comprehensive appeal for approval of a Patriarchal Seat for the UUCC. The appeal would be supported by a White Paper on the UUCC-Rome rift and on a strategic consideration regarding the Ecumenical Drive East.
emkay/12/30/00

[NORRYM]

Scanning the latest press on Ukraine web, Kyiv Post [KP] was found shedding some revelations attesting to the fluidity of the 'POPE ARRIVAL SITUATION". According to the KP article, dated Dec. 29, a Joint Organizing Committee [JOC] will be appointed to greet the Pope. The appointees will include, among others, the acting head of the Ukrainian Uniate Church [UUC], Bishop Lyubomyr Huzar. Heretofore, Bishop Huzar was remaining on the sidelines. Moreover, a committee of sorts was already announced. This is indicative of the confusion reigning in the UUC circles. The fluidity was triggered by the death of the UUC [Ukrainian Uniate Church] head, Cardinal Miroslav Lyubachivskiy. This new development may be a forerunner of the 'STORMY SYNOD', predicted in my earlier post. More interpretation of the news in my next post.
emkay/12/31/00

[Edited by NORRYM on 31st December 2000 at 19:22]

[NORRYM]

The confused state in the UUC circles, indicated in the preceding post, lends credibility to the expectation of a Stormy Synod. The Synod is to meet this January to select a successor to the recently deceased head of the UUC, Cardinal Lyubachivskiy. Experience shows that in recent years the Synod, whenever it met, commonly rubber-stamped the position of a small but influental and vocal faction, mostly comprized of rabid lay advocates under the umbrella of Ukrainian Patriarchal Society. This time around, with the Pope's imminent visit to Ukraine, the atmosphere is less favorable for the rabid faction to prevail. That faction, in its zeal to gain Pope's approal for a Patriarchal Seat, managed to contribute to a major rift between the UUC and Rome. By tacitly submitting to that faction's expectations in the selection of the UUC head successor, the Synod would be sending a wrong signal to the Pope.
emkay/12/31/00

[NORRYM]

No new developments, on any subject, are to be found from the Ukraine press. That media is typically dated now, or regurgitates the dated news. Apparently, the tradition to 'celebrate' each holiday, at least three days, dies hard in Ukraine.
emkay/01/03/01