Memorandum
Our orthodox Catholic Bishops’ Synod pointed out last year the heresies of Card. L. Husar which violate the very essence of the Christian faith. The Cardinal did not present a single explanatory argument against the accusation of heresies. Unfortunately, the whole Synod of the UGCC manifested their unity with him and with his heresies. Instead of dealing with the most essential problem, i.e. L. Husar’s proclamation of heresies, they took his side and help him towards the liquidation of the orthodox Catholic faithful. The heresies are as follows:
1) casting doubt on the Divinity of Christ
2) casting doubt on the Virginity of the Mother of God
3) casting doubt on the eternity of hell
4) propagation of occultism and syncretism
5) divination by pendulum
6) approval of homosexuality and of doctrinal and moral relativism
7) casting doubt on the primacy and infallibility of the Pope
8) propagation of reincarnation
This is the reason why the orthodox Catholic Bishops’ Synod of the UGCC has been formed – in order to become the antipole of these heresies and an alternative for those who want to keep the saving faith in Jesus Christ.
a) After year’s experience of intrigues of the heretical Synod and of its indifference concerning questions of the purity of faith, as well as after the experience of Vatican’s silence on so serious a problem as heresies inside the Church, we were forced to take a serious decision: to form the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church (UOGCC). This Church professes the Apostolic Tradition, its unalterable foundations of the Christian faith contained in God’s Revelation, in the teaching of the Church Fathers of the General Councils and in the Church’s Tradition, which is called the depositum fidei. UOGCC accepts the primacy of the Roman Pontiff. What does it mean in practice? It accepts that the Pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra on questions of faith and morals. In accordance with the Eastern Tradition UOGCC protects our canonical autonomy, which was characteristic of the patriarchates in the first millennium. The basic linking element of our unity with the Pope is the purity of faith. The office of the Pope was instituted by Jesus Christ to protect the purity of faith as well as God’s flock against wolves – heretics.
Concerning administration of our Church, we can by no means be subordinate to Vatican dicasteries which nowadays by their activity deny the essence of the papacy and proclaim or shield heresies. Our step of separation from heretics and from heresies cannot be called a schism; on the contrary, it is a vital spiritual operation for the salvation of the orthodox faithful in the UGCC. Through this step all the faithful of the UGCC, the priests, religious and laity, now have the opportunity to come out of the supremacy of heretics and to become incorporated in an orthodox Catholic structure. For the purpose of registration before the state authorities the orthodox Catholic Church UGCC accepted the name ‘Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church’ (UOGCC).
The heretical structure headed by Cardinal Husar slowly and cunningly liquidates orthodoxy and all foundations of the Christian faith. The orthodox Catholic Bishops’ Synod has stood up in defence of the heritage of the Fathers, of the apostolic and orthodox Catholic faith. The heretics have fallen into apostasy, and everyone who is subordinate to them ceases to be a Catholic and even a Christian. Until this day, 11th August 2009, when the orthodox Catholic Synod came out with the concrete appeal, the priests, religious and believers had no other choice but to stay under the sway of heresy. UOGCC has become a safeguard for all who want to remain faithful to the Catholic and Apostolic Tradition.
Orthopraxy without orthodoxy does not bring life but death. It means that exterior Christian forms and practices without true faith bring death.
It would be just if every heretical bishop penitently resigned and rightly gave place to an orthodox bishop. The people of God – the Church – would thus be protected by true shepherds against heresies and an exterior change – establishment of a new official structure – would not have to take place. Since heretics unlawfully continue in office, the orthodox religious, priests and believers have no other choice but to separate from them and to join the new orthodox structure. This is the only way how to keep the saving faith and how to protect Christianity in Ukraine against heresies!
Wherein consists the essence of heresy? The sheep came to the sheepfold (the Church) to take shelter from the wolves. A wolf – a heretic – is disguised as a shepherd with a shepherd’s staff in his hand. The sheep cuddle up to him in the belief that they will be safe with the shepherd. However, he himself starts murdering them and then opens the door for a pack of other wolves that they may complete the work of death. The sheep have no other choice but to get out of the wolf-fold in time and to go over to God’s sheepfold where there is a true shepherd and which is the only place where they can obtain eternal life. In the present time heretics do not even have as much honesty as pirates who, when a fight was about to start, fairly lowered the royal flag and raised the flag with the symbol of death. Heresies are like a bottle of poison. It would be a crime not to label it with a sign of death and to offer it as a drink. This is what heretics are doing in the Church nowadays. It is a grim but real picture of heresy and heretics not only in our Eastern but today even in the whole Western Catholic Church. Under the rule of heresy and heretics in the Church one is officially marching along the broad way to hell. Everyone who unites with heresies becomes poisoned and loses eternal life.
b) On 11th August 2009 Bishop Eliáš OSBM was additionally elected vicar of the Head of the UOGCC.
Bishop Markian OSBM remains the secretary of the Synod.
Members of the standing Synod are + Metoděj OSBM
+ Samuel OSBM
+ Markian OSBM
+ Eliáš OSBM
c) The orthodox Catholic Synod which held a meeting in Lvov-Bryukhovychi publicly declared the establishment of the Ukrainian orthodox Greek-Catholic Church, abbreviated to UOGCC, justified its official existence and wrote a letter to the Holy Father wherein it confesses unity of the Catholic faith with the Roman Pontiff. The Synod also wrote a letter to President of Ukraine V. Yushchenko, asking him to preclude unlawful procrastination of the registration of this already existent Church.
Enclosure:
- Letter to Holy Father Benedict XVI
- Letter to President of Ukraine V. Yushchenko
Lvov – Bryukhovychi, 11th August 2009
Page 1 of 2 – Memorandum