I’m really puzzled by some of the reports that come out of Ukraine. The SSJ make it sound like everything is going to hell in a handbasket, yet earlier this year when I met up with a decent sized congregation of Ukrainian born parishoners at a certain Midwestern parish, I was very impressed because they were more Catholic than alot of Roman Catholics.
It is difficult to understand without study and background, but the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) to which you were exposed is indeed very Catholic in orientation, yet faithful to their traditions as well. In the Old Country, the UGCC is a minority. There are not one but two “counterpart” Orthodox Churches - one independent and one part of the Moscow Patriarchiate. Because of the damage done to all Churches during the Communist era, today their exists much tension over church properties are related issues, as these properties are being returned. However, it is sometimes difficult given the history (Communist era all the way back to the time of the Union of Brest) to equitably determine which Church should rightfully possess which properties. It is clearly a mess, requiring great leadership, patience and prayer to resolve.
To further complicate matters, the small splinter group referred to in this thread has added another wrinkle. Frankly, from what I know, the Catholic Church had no choice but to excommunicate them, not so much because of their public claims and “excommunications”, but in the interests of keeping the peace and permitting progress to continue in Orthodox-Catholic dialogue and relations within the Ukraine.
Fortunately, IMHO, the UGCC Major Archbishop, His Beatitute Sviatoslav, is a young and apparently effective leader. He will hopefully be able to promote the best of relations with our Orthodox brethren and represent the interests of the full Catholic Church, East and West, with dignity and honor.
May God grant him and our Ukrainian Greek Catholic brothers and sisters many blessed years!