The following is a message (slightly abridged) addressed to the Ukrainian and Polish peoples by the hierarchy of the Kyiv-Halych Diocese of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This message is especially important in view of the fact that Ukrainian Greek Catholics were the most intimately involved with the tragedies in Ukrainian-Polish relations, tragedies extending back for centuries and climaxing in a bloodshed in the mid-twentieth century. How long does it take to forgive without forgetting? What human spiritual qualities does it require? Does the Church and its shepherds have enough influence to persuade the flock to change its historical attitudes and perceptions? The Church is making every effort in that direction, hopefully not only at the highest religious echelons.
MESSAGE
Brothers in Christ:
God in His divine foresight willed the Ukrainian and Polish peoples to be neighbors. As often happens between neighbors, we have experienced unity, mutual support, differences, arguments, and even acts of open enmity. Ukrainians and Poles each have their own views of history, marked by sad experiences, acts of injustice, the Pacification, and forcible resettlement. All this is history, something we cannot change, rewrite, or deny. Nor, in the final analysis, should we attempt any of this. From the point of view of our Christian faith and in keeping with earthly logic, all this must stand before the throne of our merciful God, and we must entrust the matter to historians.
Historical memory, burdened with negative emotions, burdens us even today. It is our great common fortunateness that God has given our peoples the ability for free and independent development. Ukrainians and Poles have declared, through their political representatives, a desire to create good-neighborly relationships and assist each other in building a better future. However, declarations made by politicians and far-sighted public figures often conflict with realities. Certainly, we are not at war, but we have people living on both sides of the border, who with pain and bitterness remember wrongs, and the closer they live to the border, the less there is understanding and friendliness. There is much malevolence and deliberate misinformation, along with ungrounded claims, and falsified, ideologically colored views on the history of Ukrainian-Polish relations.
Common sense dictates that we admit there is no alternative to our being neighbors. Geopolitically, we belong to the same region known as Central Eastern Europe, which currently has common economic, political, and social interests. Ukraine and Poland strive to be full-fledged members of the European community; and today, although in different degrees, efforts are being made in both countries toward shaping a democratic civil society. Many thinking people in both countries are convinced that there will no free Ukraine without a free Poland, and vice versa...
Only fifteen years ago, when the Poles only began to gaze out upon a life of freedom in their own land and Ukrainians could only dream of it, His Beatitude Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky and Primate Joseph Cardinal Glemp, acting in the spirit of faith and on behalf of the diocese and the people, exchanged declarations of mutual Ukrainian-Polish forgiveness, the essence of which was, “We forgive and ask forgiveness.”
The farseeing act by Ukrainian and Polish church hierarchs has still failed to serve as a divine guidance for us today. However, we do regard it as a task to be carried out by us, acting jointly, seeking a solution. Forgiving each other is and will remain the first step on this path. We know only too well that taking this step is anything but easy. Many people say that it is impossible, that they can neither forgive nor forget. It is especially difficult to make this step for those who were themselves victims of these historical events.
Our admonition concerning words of mutual forgiveness is understandable. However, we must act contrary to our own experience by heeding the words of Christ: With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Without reconciliation, we shall have no religious or political future ...
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
+Liubomyr
