I cordially greet you all, those in Ukraine and in the diaspora,
on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence and
join you in a thanksgiving prayer to the Almighty Lord for the
invaluable gift of freedom for the native land and our state,” wrote the
head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), in his address on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
According to the hierarch,
the celebration of the national jubilee is not only a reason for joy
and gratitude but an excellent opportunity to meditate on what kind of
state we want and need.
“We
will probably be right to say that we want to live in a state where the
social, economic, political and other dimensions of life of the people
are based on integrity, justice and responsibility,” noted the hierarch.
The head of UGCC stressed in his address that integrity and justice are different aspects of the same essence.
“Social justice is based on personal integrity, and honest citizens are a reliable support of the just authorities,” said Patriarch Sviatoslav.
The hierarch
noted that our state will be just only when the purpose of its
government is the service for the good of all its citizens and each
individual person.
“Such a state respects the dignity of the person and ensures necessary
conditions for the growth of each member of the society as a free
personality created from the image of God. It is about justice which is
not repressive or punitive in its essence. It is justice which frees and
saves. It requires of us respecting other persons regardless of their
origin, political or religious beliefs,” wrote the head of the UGCC.
He noted that such justice calls us to social non-acceptance of extremism, violence and disrespect for social peace.
“This
justice sets for the authorities the task of ensuring actual
realization of the citizens’ rights and freedoms guaranteed by the
Constitution of our state, particularly, the right to education, pension
and social maintenance and the right to work and health service. The
state should guarantee another important right, the protection of the
honor and reputation of each citizen, establishment of fair conditions
for the development of private initiative and economic activity on the
basis of subsidiarity, fair right of vote and public and political activity.”
The head of Greek Catholics also touched upon the question of religious freedom.
“The state should ensure for its citizens the realization of the
undeniable right to religious freedom and equal treatment by the
authorities of all the churches and religious organizations whose
activity is permitted in our state.”
According to the hierarch,
justice “requires the right of free and all-round development of the
Ukrainian language and culture in our own state, renewal of the historic
memory of the Ukrainian nation and counteracting the modern
manifestations of Ukrainophobia.”
In addition, a just state “should protect its citizens wherever they are and care about a live connection with the Ukrainians abroad.”
The head of the UGCC
stated that “we should not only dream about such state but also
continually create it! Only under this condition will we be able to duly
keep and enjoy the gift of independence without a danger of losing it,”
the Information Department of UGCC reported.