55 Text 3 seven beacons of ukraine
By Oleh HAVRYSH Oleh HA VRYSH, journalist, Dierkalo Tyzhnia Weekly
Nowadays all Christianity trends-Orthodox Catholicism and Protestantism-are represented in Ukraine. Orthodox associates of the 20th century, such as Aleksandr Men, did not find anything vicious in versatility of Christianity. The father Aleksandr wrote: "Due to division, Christianity has avoided equalization and tough regular system. Every creed to its own extent discloses the spiritual values and has its righteous persons and saints." In this article we will make an attempt to familiarize the reader with all Christian confessions currently acting in Ukraine.
Some years ago Kyiv hosted the Conference devoted to the 2000-year anniversary of Christmas. About 4000 priests, pastors and leaders representing all Christian denominations participated in its work. This was the first meeting, which got together leaders of Orthodox, Catholic, Baptist and Pentecost churches. The Conference demonstrated the beginning of improvements in the Christians attitude to each other.
Orthodox ukraine
Three biggest Orthodox churches of the state (Ukrainian Orthodox Church, UPC KP, Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church) govern 145 monasteries and more than ten thousands of cathedrals. 3636 monks and nuns as well as 10 319 priests devote themselves to God in Orthodox.
Another 55 parishes are united under the Old Belief Church. A small number of parishioners attend other Christian organizations, in particular Ukrainian Orthodox Apostle Church and Ukrainian Reformis Orthodox Church.
Orthodox churches often participate in the charity activities. It is enough to mention the Saint Cyril Community in Kiev well known for its charity deeds.
Problems
Main problems of the Ukrainian Orthodox are in the insufficient number of permanent parishioners, poor missionary (educational) work and high inclination of the parishioners to occultism. Unfortunately, the tendency has lately developed when many baptized Christians attend the church only for major Christian festivals rather by tradition without realizing a powerful salvation necessity to do so. The Archbishop of Ukrainian Autocephalic Orthodox Church in Kharkiv and Poltava Ihor (Yasichenko) sticks to the opinion that "this serious problem may be solved exclusively by laborious work in the parishes, by attraction of representatives of different social groups and ages to
the parish activities, by searching effective ways of catechetics as well as by decisive depoliticization of the church life and struggle against attempts to convert the church into the festival attribute of the people's every day life or a component of the Slav cultural tradition". "Sometimes the priest initiates construction or reconstruction of the church forgetting in this work about the necessity to inspire the people's souls attracting new parishioners to the temple", - Mitrofan. the Bishop of Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and Executive Officer of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church says, - "We keep on reminding about this and recommend that each parish should have a Sunday school to teach adults and children the Word". "The clergy and pastors now bear a great responsibility to reach outside the church walls and with the help of God and good will to do missionary work", - he adds.
THE REFORM
Today many priests realize the necessity for internal church reform aimed at makin church more active. Sergei Zhuravliov, Archbishop of the Ukrainian Reformed Orthodox Church comments: "Catholics have already strengthened their church: liturgy is now conducted in the national languages, they have started recognizing the priority of Bible and the Bible theology. If Catholics have managed to do this why cannot we follow their example?" Orthodox gained both positive and negative experience of the reform. In the 19th century Metropolitan Filaret (Drozdov) who initiated translation of the Bible into Russian (the Russian synodal translation) for the first time successfully attempted to maximally approach the church doctrine to the biblical one. Attempts of Bishop Antonin Hranovsky and Metropolitan Oleksandr Vvedensky to renovate the church in the 20s of the 20th century proved a failure. Probably this last unsuccessful movement made the members of the Orthodox church cautious about novelties even if they are vitally needed. At the same time there are Orthodox pastors who without the reform are looking for new ways to serve God.
ANCIENT EASTERN CHURCH
Creed and form of liturgy of the ancient eastern Christianity are very similar to Orthodox. Today this church is represented in Ukraine by two branches. Church of the Assyrian Christians who settled in Ukraine in the previous century is active in Nizhyn. Assyrian Christians are the followers of the Nestorianism. the movement founded in Byzantine in 428 by Patriarch Nestor. Armenian Apostolic Church is also represented in Ukraine. Its Monophysite doctrine appeared as opposite to Nestorianism. The Armenian Church was founded in the first century AC by the saint apostles Fadei and Varfolomei. In 301 Armenia became the first Christian state. Later by not accepting the decision of the Council ofChalcidon (451), which recognized the human nature in Jesus Christ, the Armenian Church has continued its separate development. The Eparchy of Armenian Apostolic Church is active in Ukraine since 1991; its perishes are opened in Lviv, Kyiv, Odessa, Kharkiv. Donetsk, Dnepropetrovsk
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and in Crymea (totally 16 perishes). Both churches are ethnically oriented, liturgy is conducted in the Armenian and Assyrian languages, which according to Viktor Bondarenko, the Head of the State Committee of Ukraine on Religion, "helps the ancient eastern Christians to preserve their unique traditions".
GREEK CATHOLICS
The Catholic Church of the eastern rite or Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is the biggest non-Orthodox Christian organization in Ukraine. It has 79 monasteries where 1168 monks and nuns devote themselves to God. Greek Catholics have 2777 temples and 1872 priests. According to Archpriest of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Oleksa Petriv, "lack of premises for divine service is still the main problem". He also says that "our church was essentially renovated in the period from 1989 till 1995 and its further strengthening depends on the growth of the parishioners due to christening".
Ecumenical doctrine of the UGCC says that the church wants to return the unity that had been before division of Christianity. Greek Catholics with understanding treat their parishioners who attend Orthodox and Protestant Churches. "Any development of the Christian in his cognizing the truth of God is welcomed by us. It is not forbidden to listen to the Word with Protestants and to jointly act for charity", - says the Head of the UGCC Bureau on Relations with State Authorities in Kyiv. According to Greek, Catholics, the existence of two Catholic churches in Ukraine is quite understandable. Ukraine and the West used to develop in different social and cultural conditions, so Catholicism takes into consideration differences in the people's traditions (the principle of "in- culture").
ROME CATHOLICS
Catholics of the Latin rite are the members of the Rome Catholic Church (RCC) of Ukraine uniting 309 nuns and monks and 431 priests The RCC has 713 temples and 50 monasteries "The main problem of the Rome Catholic Church in Ukraine, - according to Viktor Makkovsky, the Senior Priest of the St Alexander Cathedral, - is that the property confiscated by the anti-religious power has not yet been returned to the church. Eleven years have passed but the residence of the bishop, the House of Clergy, a premise of the Sunday School and the Almshouse in Kyiv have not been given back to us. No one from the City Administration wants to talk about this - they arejust sending formal replies. The same situation is with the St Nicholas Church and other churches in Chernihiv, Bila Tserkva and Uman". To Viktor Makkovsky"s opinion, a painful issue of relations with the Orthodox Church members is explained rather by a watchful attitude to the Catholics than to Orthodox believers: "we call the Orthdox Church our sister-church and pray for its parishioners as they are our brothers and sisters as other Christians". It is known that the RCC is often blamed for its proselytism basing on the argument that Ukraine is not the arena for mission work since it is baptized. "However, many Ukrainians live without God in their hearts irrespective of the fact whether they are atheists or were christened in the childhood. Some even do not know how to cross oneself. We are not winning the people over to Catholicism, we are teaching the Word", - Makkovsky says.
PROTESTANTISM
Protestantism is the Christianity movement appeared in the 16th century as a result of Reformation. Many developed countries, in particular USA and the majority of EU states are Protestant.
Very often Mormons or "Jehovah's Witnesses" are mistaken for Protestants though they have nothing to do with Protestantism. A protest of the minority in the times of Reformation assumed return to the authentic Bible (Solo Scripture) in contrast to its arbitrary interpretation by the marginal churchmen.
Protestant perishes (except Charismats) are active in Ukraine since the 19th century, which implies rather deep roots. To evaluate the impact of Protestants to the Ukrainian culture it is enough to remember the heritage ofGrihory Savovych Skovoroda who was the first to introduce the Gospel to the people in the articulate and clear Ukrainian language. According to Viktor Bondarenko, "none of the Protestant churches - Lutherans, Evangelical Christian. Baptists or Pentecost - falls under the category of sect, so to call them sectarians is at least illiterate".
Orthodox churches should pay attention to the positive experience of the Protestants in such spheres as investigation of the Bible, mission work and even the fraternal attitude to each other.
LUTHERANS AND REFORMATS
Lutheranism founded by the greatest church reformer Martin Luther is dogmatically more close to Orthodox and Catholicism than other Protestants. For example, Lutherans consider communion (Eucharist) the sacrament but not flie remembrance on the Crucifixion as the reformats do. Lutherans appeared in Ukraine in the 16th century but the first domestic Lutheran community came up only in 1765. Today there are three Lutheran Churches in Ukraine. To start with the German Gospel-Lutheran Church, (GGLC), which has 30 buildings for divine service. The majority of parishioners (about one thousand) attend parishes in Odessa and Kyiv. Since Lutherans were mostly of German origin there was a fear that this religion will be marked by a national sign. However, this did not happened - the Ukrainian Lutheran Church (ULC) appeared. According to Vyacheslav Hor-pinchuk. Bishop of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church: "ULC is growing and I guess that in 5 years it will count about 10 thousand people". "The main problem of the church, - as he considers, - is the unwillingness of local administration to legitimately allocate land for construction of temples".
Reformation is divided into Lutheran and Calvinist. The Calvinist reformation has resulted in creation of the Transcarpathian Reformatory Church in the first half of the 16th century. Today TRC has 101 parishes. 92 temples with 54 pas tors and some ten thousands of parishioners
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN
At one time Evangelical Christian and Baptists used to serve God separately. Then the Soviet power united these two movements into one organization. Now Evangelical Christian again represent a separate denomination.
One of the confessors of Evangelical Christian in Ukraine was Ivan Stepanovych Prokhanov, who implemented the Christian values into the practice of divine service in the 19th century. Most interesting in Prokhanov's activities was his dialogue with Orthodox where they managed to come to terms. As Anatoly Kalyuzhny, the Head of the Council of the Assembly of the Independent Gospel Churches of Ukraine says, - "We differ from Protestants by external form of liturgy: liturgy in Evangelical Christian is more dynamic and free, less traditional as compared to Baptists." There are two largest missions of Evangelical Christian in Kyiv - "New Life" and "Light in the East" which apart from missionary work are active in Christian charity. "New Life" has opened a rehabilitation center for invalids, assembled football teams for children with emotional problems and is holding optional semihars for the youth. As the Head of the mission organization "Light in the East" and Head of the Directorate of the Association of Mission Churches of Evangelical Christian in Ukraine Vasyi Davydyuk informs: "Every year we bring from Germany to Ukraine 8-9 big trucks with free Christian literature and humanitarian aid for orphans, sick and abandoned people. We have delivered to hospitals functional beds for patients, equipment for operations, invalid's wheel chairs and medical trolleys". He also adds: "Today Evangelical Christian are most active part of Protestants. They are known for their well-developed missionary and charity activities".
BAPTISTS
Baptism emerged in England early in the 17th century as a form of the Puritanism, a movement in the Anglican Church. Today Baptists and Presbyterians are main Christian creeds in USA and Canada. In 1886 the Prosecutor of Odessa Court Chamber witnessed about Ukrainian Baptists that they "all without exception lead a sober and industrious life manifesting by this the principles of Christianity". According to Viktor Bondarenko: "Almost nothing has changed since that time - today Baptists are celebrated for their high moral qualities". In Ukraine there are a number of Baptist Church unions with the All- Ukrainian Union of the Associations of Evangelical Christian Baptists, Fraternity of Independent Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists and the Church Council uniting unregistered Baptists. According to Vitaly Tkachuk, Vice-President ofAUU of GCB, the Ukrainian Baptism has signs of traditional
Orthodox. For example, praying is done kneeling or standing, glorification of God - standing. Baptists in the West pray and glorify God standing. Recognition and impact of Baptists in Ukraine are proved by the fact that this year the President Leonid Kuchma met in Kyivwith Head of the World Baptist Union Denton Lotz.
PENTECOST CHURCH
There are many reasons to call the 20th century a century of the Pentecost movement that emerged as a new trend in Protestantism on the border of the 19th-20th centuries and rapidly expanded all over the world. "Generally accepted name "Pentecost" reflects a theological peculiarity of this movement strengthening significance and essence of the event during the Pentecost festival in Jerusalem -(3imecxH) ??? of the Holy Spirit, - says Volodymir Franchuk, Assistant of the President of the Union of the Christian Churches of Gospel Creed - Pentecosters of Ukraine. In Ukraine Pentecosters are the members of the Union of the Christian Churches of Gospel Creed of Ukraine, the United Church of Evangelical Christian, the Union of Free Churches of Gospel Creed Christians, and the Ukrainian Church of God. The number of Pentecosters exceeds 200 thousand. They have opened numerous missions (including the largest mission to assist the orphan children) and theological educational institutions. The main problem of Pentecosters is a shortage of land plots allocated for construction of centers and prayer houses. "The President Kuchma during several meetings with the administration of our Union said about his positive attitude to us. We also are on good terms with the Kyiv Council, however to get a land plot for construction of prayer houses in the capital is still problematic", - says Volodymir Franchuk.
CHARISMATIC CHURCH
Charismatic movement of the churches of full Gospel is the youngest in the Protestantism. It appeared in Ukraine only in the early 90s. According to Anatoly Havrilyuk, the President of the Association of Independent Charismatic Christian Churches of Ukraine (full Gospel) "a peculiarity of the full Gospel Christian Churches is that we devote much time to learn the Word. Every church has a biblical school and biblical institutions". The largest Charismatic churches in Ukraine are the churches "Victory" (pastor Henry Madava) and "Word of Belief (pastor Sunday Adeladja).
A. Havrylyuk said that "the main problem we experienced was a conflict with the Ministry of Education, which in its circular letter forwarded to schools called the Charismatic churches "vicious sects with which there should be nothing in common". We had to initiate a case against Ministry of Education and won the action. The Ministry of Education has committed itself to send a letter of denial to schools".
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A picture of relationships of different Christian denominations is paradoxical today. On the one hand, the tense relations are preserved not only between confessions but also between the churches. On the other hand, there are good reasons for Christians to live in love and harmony. Understanding of this vital necessity is the main prerequisite for this. It was not a mere chance that the Apostle Paul wrote in his "Epistles to the Ephesians" that there is one Lord, one belief, one christening, one God and Father - above all of us, through all of us and inside all of us.
Translated by Alia Horska