Your Holiness:
As a Ukrainian Catholic I find myself even more deeply disturbed by your July 4 meeting with Russian President Vladimir putin.
Frankly, I have questioned your authority in my relationship with God and the Catholic Church, more specifically the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church since your earlier meeting with Moscow Patriarch Kirill. They say that time heals wounds, but my wound has been reopened, aggravated and deepened by the latest meeting. Inasmuch as no tangible good came from your earlier meeting, I fail to comprehend the benign or strategic purpose of the latter as well as your thinking in this regard.
I need not tell you that Putin is simply a killer who happens to lead a country which throughout history has produced many of like ilk. If there was any doubt, it has been more than dispelled by events in Ukraine, Syria, even Great Britain. Your meeting legitimized this killer in the eyes of the world, in particular, your faithful who once considered you the embodiment of Christ on earth. Putin is not the thief on the Cross manifesting remorse before Jesus. He is the other one.
I would like to share with you my personal story resulting from your actions. Your initial meeting with Kirill caused me much pain and a partial break with the Church at that time. I continued to attend the liturgy at Ukrainian Catholic churches but refrained from customary responses at the mention of your name. I also began attending the Ukrainian Orthodox Church service more often where I had always had a good relationship. The only difference between Ukrainian Orthodoxy and Ukrainian Catholicism is the recognition of your Office as the Vicar of the faithful’s relationship with God. Frankly, at this juncture you have become not a facilitator or conduit for that relationship, but an impediment.
Having said that, perhaps there is no personal purpose for me in further communication except for the good of the ecumenical Church. Naturally I do not expect a response from you and apologize for my frankness. My intent is not to be rude nor to offend. However, I feel that what I have to say, must be said. My feelings are shared by many Ukrainian Catholics, mostly silent, many of whom, granted, may have previously strayed from the Catholic church for myriad reasons. The latest events, your politics, are simply the final nails in the coffin. Silence does not denote consent or approval. You have lost at least some of your flock and in this regard you have failed not only those lost sheep but our mutually recognized almighty Shepherd. I suspect that Jesus cannot be pleased with your stewardship as you have failed your flock, the very creatures of God who were entrusted to you.
More than 13,000 Ukrainian people have been killed and several million displaced as a direct result of Putin’s actions in Ukraine alone; 298 complete innocents perished in the one airplane massacre over Ukrainian territory in 2014. The death statistics and suffering have been even more numerous and severe in Syria. Ukrainian suffering at the hand of Russian aggression is well known to you. Certainly, not insignificant in history among the persecuted by Russia are the hierarchy, clergy and faithful of the Ukrainian Catholic Church who became martyrs for Christ in the last century alone.
I feel compelled as simply a human being, a child of God and a follower of Jesus Christ to cry out to you. Please, I implore you, stop!
No good can come from your actions, your political strategies, if you will. Leave political maneuvering to those better equipped. You are killing the very fruit of God’s creation and benevolence. You are aligning with the devil and evil in the struggle against God and good. Please stop! I implore you. At the same time you are destroying the very Church which Jesus himself put in place on this earth. You are enabling the triumph of evil over good.
In my own way as a simple creature of God’s work I will pray for you. I believe that God will hear my prayer because it is sincere, heartfelt. But even so, God will require your remorse. I implore you to manifest that remorse, change your haughty misplaced ways, get on your knees and beg God, the people of Ukraine, Syria, Georgia and elsewhere for forgiveness. Lord have mercy on both our souls.
Askold S. Lozynskyj is a past president of the Ukrainian World Congress.
