The global head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, recently visited Australia in order to meet with Catholic Bishops, Church leaders, parishioners and politicians of the dioceses of Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane.
The purpose of the Patriarch’s 13-day national tour was, in his own words, “to preserve the unity of the Ukrainian community spread throughout the world.”
The Patriarch was delighted to meet members of the Ukrainian Catholic community of Australia, stating that the community is a very important part of the Church. “It is my duty and also my honour to visit them and have a possibility to discuss our challenges and difficulties,” he said.
In his visit to Perth, the first by a Patriarch in nearly 30 years, His Beatitude spoke of different issues confronting the Ukrainian Catholic Church, not least the conflict in Ukraine and its impact on communities there.
He stated that Churches and people of all faiths, particularly the Muslim Tatar communities in Crimea, are being targeted by terrorist Russian separatists and ongoing military aggression from Russia.
The Patriarch also expressed a desire to present a realistic account of the events taking place in Ukraine and counter what he believes is the “misinformation of the Russian state, a misinformation that kills hearts and minds, and justifies unjust policies.”
His listing of the violations of Ukrainian rights and sovereignty included the killing of 3,500 civilians in the last few months, the direct invasion of Russian troops in Ukraine through the annexation of Crimea, as well as the ongoing unauthorised crossing of Russian troops into Ukrainian territory.
The Patriarch also offered his condolences for the Australians who lost their lives in the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 disaster, emphasising that Australians and Ukrainians now share a sorrow and pain for the loss of innocent lives.
His Beatitude proclaimed that the Church was promoting peace and social justice through an “unprecedented” ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, including with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarch. In an interview with Catholic Weekly, he spoke of the power of this unity to restore “human dignity” to the Ukrainian people in times of social and political instability. “We believers cannot look at the denial of human dignity again and again without reacting.
“If it is all in the end about loving God and loving our neighbour, then human dignity takes on an importance that is so central.
“It trumps considerations of gain, of personal success, of comfort and a quiet private life, disengaged from the issues of civil society.”
The Patriarch also commented on the public squares which saw Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims unite in protest earlier this year, labelling them as sites that “bred dignity.”
Throughout Australia, His Beatitude’s visit united numerous faithful together in prayer for the tragedies unfolding in Ukraine.
With the Southern Cross Magazine and the Catholic Weekly