A small church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Holy Mother of God is located in by far the most crowded area in Kovel, near a big railway station, bus station, and a market. However, its parishioners are not transit for sure, they are regular church-goers. Last year the dean in a speech dedicated to the 10th anniversary since the church’s sanctification called its parishioners a “family-type community.” Rev. Volodymyr says that when in the early 1990s the older members of Kovel families decided to build a church near a railway station, they also involved in its construction their children, who in their turn brought their children to the church. And the church turned out to be too small. Therefore a bigger church is being constructed, named after Venerable Sergius of Radonezh. Meanwhile, moms with small children are settling in comfortable premises of a Sunday school where they can join the service, which is broadcast on a big screen.
On a Sunday, when I was on my way to Lutsk, I entered the church when the service was coming to an end. I was pleasantly surprised to see that people were not hurrying to leave the church after the liturgy: all people present stayed for the service for health in order to support diseased with their prayers. I know that in many parishes there is a different situation: only those who ordered a service or mass stay after the communion of Holy Gifts. This time I saw many people waiting for the priest near the church to ask for blessing and talk about vital things. They say these conversations may delay Rev. Volodymyr for longer than an hour.
Rev. Volodymyr Rovinsky, the dean of the Kovel Church of the Pochaiv Icon of the Holy Mother of God, rural dean of the city district, head of the information-publishing department of the Volodymyr-Volynsky Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, who is strongly needed by his parishioners, considers that these days a priest and religious community should not be limited in its activity only by the church walls.
“At first sight, it may seem to someone that the church is involved in things that should not be of its concern. People often reproach clergymen for this. But can the church stay aside of a whole range of social problems these days? For example, there is a problem of people’s complete disorientation in the purpose of their life. The scale of values which had prevailed among our people for centuries has been destroyed. The highest in this scale was God and values connected with Him, based on the faith. There was family, which was truly appreciated, it was strong and hopes were pinned upon it. The lowest-ranking value, though a unique one, was personality perceived as God’s image, which was supposed to give selfless and effective love. So, faith, hope, and love used to be the measurement of life of our society since old times. Today all these three steps have been practically destroyed. Egoism and devaluation of family’s role are propagated these days and ruination of family ties lead to hopelessness, whereas faith is substituted with increasing frequency by superstitions. Hence the misfortune of our people: we don’t know what we are looking for, where we are heading, what we want, and what awaits us in the future.”
At the same time, on Sundays and on great religious holidays, churches are crowded. Any person present in a church will tell you that they came there to save their soul, that they are seeking God and eternal life.
“We can’t underestimate the whole importance of revival that has taken place in the past few years in most of churches and monasteries. It is very good that many people who are seeking God come there. The churches today are spiritual guidelines without which we cannot save ourselves in today’s stormy sea of life. However, let’s view the situation from a different angle. The churches are crowded. But what percentage, what tiny part of the society is made by the members of church – they are called practicing Christians, – concerning the whole mass which has not found the road to the church or is neglecting it? What are the guidelines of those who remain beyond the church? What values are they guided by?
“Let’s look closely at those who come to the church. You say they ‘come there to save their souls, they seek God and eternal life.’ As a parish priest I have been making maximum efforts for over 20 years to hear an answer from a parishioner about saving his soul, seeking God and eternal life. For the most part the churches are crowded for quite different reasons: no health, the son is an alcoholic, the daughter-in-law is good-for-nothing, the grandchildren have ill breeding, the neighbors are wizards, the boss is a swindler, and the power… There are so many of them that it’s hard to mention all. And I am not surprised that namely these problems drive people to the church, because the scale of values is broken and turned upside down. Where are people supposed to look for God and eternal life? Before looking for God, you should first find yourself. And only on a subconscious, intuitive level people feel that the reasons of their problems are in their soul, an ill soul, and only God, Who created it, can cure it.
“I communicate much with young people. I remember, previously when a child was asked, who s/he wanted to become, s/he replied with confidence: a teacher, doctor, cosmonaut, driver, or military man. Now you ask: ‘Child, whom do you want to become?’ And the child does not know. And a senior pupil does not know either, though he is supposed to choose the road into life tomorrow. And the reason is that today the question is put differently: not ‘who do I want to become,’ but ‘what should happen around me’ to make me happy. Today everyone knows what they want to take from this world, but few people give a thought to how they can serve this world? And this is the question that modern Christians should ask themselves first and foremost. And if we don’t find answer how we can serve this world, but are looking for how to use it, do we remain Christians?”
In your opinion, what has changed the world and us in this world?
“It seems to me, and I will not be original in this, that we have become obsessed with material values, namely they have broken our scale of values. I will give you a small example from my childhood. I was raised in a teacher’s family. My uncles and aunts were also from the milieu of pedagogues, like my grandmother. Namely grandmother taught to the whole family certain values: she always presented us with books on a birthday. A book was always the most precious present. After grandmother’s death, the book still remained a similarly precious gift. And if I brought even the most beautiful book as a birthday present to someone, some people would even say straight away: Father, you could give a more valuable present.
“We build churches, on Sundays we visit them, but we think in stereotypes, plan our life in the following way: we go to work now, then to a barbecue, and only then do we go to the church.”
Can the church change something in people’s attitude to God, help in bringing back the lost scale of the society’s values?
“The church is able of doing so, because it has a 2,000-year experience of practice. Secondly, the pastor’s, spiritual, and intellectual resource has been restored in the past 20 years after the theomachist ruination. But the church faces certain obstacles on this way. Not everyone likes the fact that the church’s role in formation of social opinion is becoming more prominent. But we have already seen it: the attitude to the church was good until it performed the function of so-called ‘decoration’ of social processes. But as soon as the church declared about its active position in the community’s life, there have always been forces which tried to hush its voice and diminish its role.”
Many state officials declare their sympathies to one or another denomination.
“I would like not to be mistaken when asserting that by and large our state officials come on holidays not only to serve as chandeliers. I have received evidence many times: they have an acute inner need for communication with God; after all, life worries fill their hearts no less than the hearts of other people who come to the church. But there is a ‘but’ in the officials’ affiliation. They are ready to show various gestures of respect and care to the church, but they do so in the same way as with an expensive cell phone: you use it, switch it off, look at the envious eyes of your fellows or opponents and hide it back in a pocket till the next time. Who wants to have a cell phone, which continues to talk when you switch it off, and does so in a didactic manner? At the same time, I will note that among the state officials there are many people with a healthy view of the current si-tuation and a sincere and caring heart. The church should look for comrades-in-arms among such people in its ser-ving to the propagation of the Gospel and forming a corresponding scale of values.
“Only a blind person cannot see that the state of economy, politics, and least of all, finance, is hardly the reason of today’s crisis in the world. We have a deep spiritual crisis. Today the crisis is in people’s minds and hearts, not their wallets and banks.”
I know from the press that your church is working with the youth on a regular basis, and many young people come to the church services. Does the younger generation ignore the churches on the whole?
“For the young people not to ignore the churches, the latter should be standing in the life crossroads of the youth. I mean that the church services, sermon, and the activity of clergymen beyond the church should find a living response in young hearts. Therefore the question is, on the one hand, to the youth, whether it is ready to come to the church, and on the other hand, to the church, whether it is ready to accept the youth with its troubles and search. Today, thank God, we have many boys and girls who don’t want to see night clubs, bar, or other establishments with doubtful reputation as the venue of their communication. But where else can they meet? This fall we’ve managed to share our experience of working with youth to other churches. We have held a grand three-day youth camp on the basis of the sanatorium ‘Turiia,’ and there was a common trip to the Carpathians. The youth needs this communication. We are trying to help them in this. We create the conditions where young people can test each other, because in a hike or in a pilgrimage trip it becomes apparent whether you are ready to lend a helping hand in complicated situations. You won’t see this in a night club.”
A lot of people approach you and other priests after the ser-vice. What do they want to hear from you?
“People have a great need in communication with a priest. Frequently they come for advice namely to a priest, because they have no other person to consult with. Previously people used to take counsel with members of their families. They went to their grandfather, father, or elder brother. ‘Dad, your granddaughter decided to marry your neighbor’s Petro, what is your opinion?’ Now people don’t know with whom to consult even in such questions. Of course, there are problems you can decide only with a priest. These days not only should you study the Bible, but also know where to implement it in real life. There are a number of questions, when in a priest’s word people seek God’s word. And here the priest not as much advises, but prays and asks God to make the person understand and show His will to him/her.”
