For five brief days the population of Rome increased by 26 persons after the arrival of that number of Ukrainian media people invited to familiarize themselves with the techniques of arrangements for and media coverage of the pontifical visit to Ukraine. We were present at a General Audience of Pope John Paul II and spoke with ranking Vatican officials, among them the head of the Holy See Press Service, those in charge of Vatican radio and television, and Catholic journalists who have for the past three years accompanied the Pope on his travels. Incidentally, the friendly exchanges were additional evidence that the church press lives by laws of its own. The Catholic media, just like their Orthodox counterparts, do not see their goal in criticizing church affairs, exposing episcopal abuses, or chewing over internal scandals. All this is the daily bread of secular journalism.
Among the Ukrainian journalists were believers and agnostics, Orthodox, Greek Catholic, and Roman Catholic adherents, yet no one had ever inquired about our affiliation, at any stage (during preparation for the trip, visit to the Vatican City, participation in the General Audience, or visits to monasteries). One was reminded of all those confessional concerns back home, when answers to questions in interviews with ranking clergymen depended solely on one’s confessional allegiance.
The most memorable impressions from Rome are meetings with ethnic Ukrainians. The local Ukrainian community is small (not counting the illegals, of course), because normal employment is virtually impossible. The community mostly consists of Catholic and Greek Catholic clergymen working for the Vatican, inmates of several monasteries, students at seminaries and other theological institutions, and the personnel of the two Ukrainian embassies to Italy and the Vatican. The Ukrainian journalists’ visit was an important occasion for Rome’s Ukrainians, the more so that it was the first large group of media people from home. We were accorded warm welcome, local compatriots told us about their life and work, everybody was very cordial, eager to stand a treat or guide on a sightseeing trip (I wonder if we will ever be able to reciprocate).
Meetings with Vatican theological students proved especially interesting. Those young people mostly came from Western Ukraine, seminary graduates sent to Rome by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to continue their studies in the hope that most will become parish priests, the modern European-trained shepherds that Ukrainian churches need so badly today. In reality, however, far from all Roman students from Ukraine do so — or work for the Church in some other way. Thus, only eight priests have graduated from the St. Josaphat College over the past four years. Some of the students use their stay in Rome for their own purposes having nothing whatsoever to do with the Church. The impression was also that the unique material opportunities of Greek Catholic institutions (Ukrainian Papal College, Papal Institute of the Protective Veil, and Hagia Sophia Ukrainian Center) are not being used in full measure, considering the needs of the Church. There were sixty or seventy students enrolled, and the number could be considerably higher.
The Ukrainians studying in Rome are an entirely new generation, young people with an experience of life abroad, familiar with Western educational and employment standards, knowing several languages (Italian is in markedly short supply in Ukraine). They can compare domestic and foreign realities relying on their own experience. And the internationalist institutions of the Vatican do instill in the students an ecumenical spirit of tolerance. The journalists had a memorable opportunity to watch the students in action; they acted as our guides, arranged meetings, and interpreted during press conferences in the Vatican. I especially remember two of them, Ivan Sichkaryk from Podillia (we discussed sophisticated aspects of biblical translations and terminology at dinner) and Mykhailo Perun (he acted as a simultaneous interpreter during our meeting with the head of the apostolic press service, and his performance was faultlessly literary, even with a dramatic touch. I could not appreciate his Italian unfortunately, but Mykhailo put my heart to rest, pointing out good-humoredly, “Psychologists say that what you are saying isn’t as important as the way you say it.” I thought he was as good as any professional Ukrainian journalist I have ever known.
May in Rome is a reminder of the spring, with green hilltops and red poppies feasting atop the Roman Forum, among the marble debris. There is, however, one very unpleasant aspect about the Eternal City; sooner or later you have to leave.
