Step Forward for Catholic-Orthodox Relations?

NC Register ^ | February 10, 2011 | CINDY WOODEN

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The election of a new archbishop for a Church with 6.5 million Catholics could hold the key to determining if or when Pope Benedict XVI may meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Vatican officials are watching the Ukrainian Catholic Church’s leadership with keen interest, but without the degree of anxiety for its ecumenical implications that would have been present even five years ago.

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Church, Feb. 10, about two weeks before his 78th birthday. The cardinal, who as major archbishop of the Eastern Catholic Church could have served for life, is almost blind and asked to retire.

The 45 Ukrainian Catholic bishops from Ukraine and other countries of Europe, North and South America and Australia must meet within two months to elect a successor; Pope Benedict must assent to the election before the new major archbishop can be installed.

The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of the Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome, and it is pivotal in ecumenical relations.

When Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Catholic Church was forcibly united with the Russian Orthodox Church and became illegal. During 45 years under communist rule, the push for Ukrainian independence and the demand for religious freedom for Ukrainian Catholics often went in hand in hand. The growth of
Ukrainian democracy after independence in 1991 occurred at the same time as the Church was being rebuilt.

However, the return of religious freedom meant that many Christians who were worshipping as Orthodox decided to return to their Ukrainian Catholic roots.

[NYer]

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, waves as he leaves a news conference in Kiev Feb. 10, the same day as Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation.

Church properties that had been confiscated by the government or given by the government to the Orthodox were reclaimed by Ukrainian Catholics in situations that occasionally included violence between Catholics and Orthodox.

[NYer]

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Church, Feb. 10, about two weeks before his 78th birthday.

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar

Some of you may recall Cardinal Husar from the conclave following the death of Pope JPII. As each cardinal made his way in, they stopped before the Book of the Gospels to pray and recite their pledge of silence. When he approached the Book of the Gospels, Cardinal Husar bent forward and kissed the gospel. It left a big impression on many here in the forum.