The Millennium of Christianity is ...

Not in Russia But the Ukraine

by Petro B. T. Bilaniuk, D. Th., D. Phil., C.D.S.P., D.D. Continued from Issue No. 25
Many different ethnic groups were converted to Christianity on the territory of
the future Ukraine: Ostrogoths, Visigoths, Alans, Roxolans, and many Slavic
tribes. Thus the empire of the Kievan Rus' was already heavily Christianized
when in 955, St. Olha, the monarch of Kiev, personally accepted Christianity.
In 988 A.D., we see the beginning of an organized State-Church, Kiev then
becoming the see of the Metropolitan of all Rus'-Ukraine. From that time, the
whole Kievan Empire and Church started to develop an indigenous Christian
culture, learning and art. Quite soon, the ancient Rusychi-Ukrainians had
become leaders in architecture, iconography and music throughout the Christian
world. The creation of the new Hagia Sophia Cathedral in Kiev with its thirteen
rotundas, and with its mosaic of the Mother of God as oranta, the "immovable
wall", formed the best example of the splendid artistic achievement of the
period. Simultaneously, the artistic development of the iconostasis of seven tiers
representing the events and personages of salvation-history was appearing in
many Ukrainian churches.
The Most Holy Mother of God, Mary, occupies a very prominent place in the
theology and spirituality of the Ukrainian people. Innumerable churches,
monasteries and institutions have been dedicated to Her. The most beautiful
hymns, prayers, offices and devotions have been created in Her honor. Ukraine
can even boast over two hundred wonder-working icons of the Mother of God.
There was monastic life in Scythia from the third century onward. It received a
new impetus in 1037 when Yaroslav the Wise founded two monasteries: of St.
George and of St. Irene. The famous Kievan Laura of the Caves had its origins
in 1051, and grew spectacularly under the abbotship of St. Anthony and St.
Theodosius of the Caves. Soon it became the spiritual center of monasticism
and of learning of the whole Kievan Rus'-Ukraine, and retained this position
until the Stalinist persecution of the 1930's.
The Kievan Rus'-Ukraine was accepted as a Christian state by Europe, with an
important cultural and political role. The monarch of Kiev, Yaroslav the Wise
(1015-1054) became known as the "father-in-law of Europe", for many of his
children married monarchs or members of the royal houses of Western Europe.
The year 1240 marked the beginning of the Mongol domination of Ukraine and
its people. Then came a very serious decline of the Metropolitanate of Kiev. In
1303, the Metropolitanate of Halych in Western Ukraine was established; but in
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1347, its Metropolitan dignity was suppressed. And at that time, all the
eparchies of Ukraine were forcefully subjected to the Metropolitan of Kiev with
residence in Moscow.
In 1589, the Patriarchate of Moscow was erected, and Muscovite pressure on
the Ukrainian Church intensified. In 1596, after mature consideration of the
church-political situation, the Ukrainian hierarchy concluded a reunion with the
Church of Rome, which is known today as the 'Union of Brest'. In 1620,
Theophan, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, visited Ukraine and secretly ordained six
bishops for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. This marked the beginning of two
hierarchies and two Churches in Ukraine: the Orthodox and the Catholic.
Unfortunately, this division persists to the present. The Ukrainian Orthodox
Church reached its peak of development under Metropolitan Petro Mohyla
(1633-46). The Kievan Academy founded by him in 1633 became the center of
learning for all the Slavic world.
In 1921, in the cathedral of Hagia Sophia in Kiev, a church council was held
during which the Ukrainian Orthodox Autocephalous Church was established
under the leadership of Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivskyi. That Church was brutally
suppressed during the Stalinist persecution in the 1930's.
The Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitanate of Galicia was established in 1807. It
developed very well, especially under Metropolitan Andrei Sheptyts'kyi (19011944) who established new monastic orders and reorganized the Seminary of
Lviv. Under his successor, the Metropolitan (later Cardinal) Josyf Slipyj (19441984), the Ukrainian Catholic Church suffered bloody persecution and a forceful
liquidation by the Soviet authorities at the pseudo-council of Lviv in 1946, which
"officially" incorporated it into the Russian Orthodox Church and the Patriarchate
of Moscow. This Martyr-Church had to descend into the modern catacombs, and
today has seventeen bishops, twelve hundred priests, twelve hundred nuns and
monks, an underground seminary, a catechetical school, and many faithful
scattered all over USSR. At present, it is fighting for official recognition and
legalization by the Soviet government; and in faith, hope and love, expects
better times in the future.

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