«If Ukraine had just one Church, founded by our Holy Prince Valdimir, holding relations with the Roman Pontiff, we would want to be part of this Church which could rightly be called the One Ukrainian Orthodox Church.»
The Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church endured severe persecution under the Soviet empire, and Nezavisimaja Gazeta allows Cardinal Husar to describe the sufferings of his family and friends. The newspaper also gives the Ukrainian prelate an opportunity to explain the Union of Brest, through which the Orthodox Metropolitanate of Kiev restored full communion with the Holy See.
The purpose of this union, Cardinal Husar explained, was not to submerge the Ukrainian Church into the Roman Church, but rather to regain full communion within the worldwide Church. The Pope, he said, should be seen as a «symbolic» rather than «juridical» leader of the Eastern churches, and relations between Kiev and Rome should be seen in terms of «communion» rather than «submission.»
Cardinal Husar told the Russian newspaper: «We have always seen the role of the Pope as that of Saint Peter the Apostle: he has the authority to unite all Christians, but he does not command them.» He contrasted the unity of Catholicism-- achieved through the leadership of the Holy See-- with the sharp divisions that mark the Orthodox Church.
Catholic World News - Feature
21. juni 2001