Ukrainian Christianity

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Lucretius

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What is the difference between Ukrainian Catholicism/Orthodoxy and Byzantine Orthodoxy? What makes the Ukrainian Church different? Is it just a political and ethical separation, or is there slightly different viewpoints in spirituality, different emphases on dogma, etc. ? If I wished to learn more about Ukrainian Catholicism (and Ukrainian Christianity in general), what resources could you recommend? Thank you.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Barzillai said:
It is prudent to know as much as possible about the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Here is a good overview at the Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Oregon.

Here are more details at the UKRAINIAN GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH (UGCC).

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Thanks! My father’s side of the family is traditionally Ukrainian Catholic/Orthodox, although in America they’ve largely caved in and became Latin Catholic 😃 This is why I was raised in the Latin rite as opposed to the Ukrainian (?) rite.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Lucretius said:
What is the difference between Ukrainian Catholicism/Orthodoxy and Byzantine Orthodoxy? What makes the Ukrainian Church different? Is it just a political and ethical separation, or is there slightly different viewpoints in spirituality, different emphases on dogma, etc. ? If I wished to learn more about Ukrainian Catholicism (and Ukrainian Christianity in general), what resources could you recommend? Thank you.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
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There are mainly differences between Greek Catholics and Eastern Orthodox in matters of acceptance of Catholic dogma, and in being in full union with Rome.

The Ukrainian Catholic Church originated when some of the Orthodox in Poland came into full communion with the Catholic Church (the Union of Brest, 1595-1596).

The Byzantine (Ruthenian) Catholic Church originated when some of the Orthodox in Hungary came into full communion with the Catholic Church (the Union of Uzhorod, 1646).

The wave of immigration from 1880 to about 1915 was called the ‘Great Economic Immigration’ for Hungarians. Austrians came because of overpopulation, economic reasons, and due to industrialization. Since many were Greek Catholics, many Ukrainian and Byzantine Catholic parishes in North America were established.

The Ukrainian Catholic and Byzantine Catholic churches have their own particular canon laws and have established slightly different liturgical norms.

You can read some history here:

cnewa.org/default.aspx?ID=123&pagetypeID=9&sitecode=HQ&pageno=1
 
As opposed to Orthodox, Ukrainian Catholics are in communion with Rome, thus they accept the dogmas of the Catholic Church. They practice the Byzantine Rite, albeit with some alterations, I think (one of them being the common use of Ukrainian language during the Liturgy, as opposed to Church Slavonic in the Ukrainian Eastern Orthodox Church).

As for spiritual viewpoints, you’ll probably encounter Ukrainian Catholics all over across the spectrum regarding their closeness to Rome: from those whose theology and private devotional practices are not much different from the Western Latin Rite Catholics, to those that are as close to Eastern Orthodox tradition as it is possible to be, while still adhering to Catholic dogmas.
 
Can anyone name any Ukrainian saints (Catholic or Orthodox)?

Christ pax,

Lucretius
 
Lucretius said:
Can anyone name any Ukrainian saints (Catholic or Orthodox)?

Christ pax,

Lucretius
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Vatican site: Romza (born in what is now Ukraine):
vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20010627_romza_en.html

Vatican site, Hopko (born in what is now Slovak Republic):
vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20030914_hopko_en.html

Vatican site: Gojdič (born in what is now Slovak Republic):
vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20011104_beat-gojdic_en.html

Some contemporary models of holiness to consider:

UKRAINE


  1. *] Ludwika Morawska (1906)
    *] Eremiya Lomnits’kyi (1916) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Kirilo Selets’kyi (1918) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Yosafata Mykhailyna Hordshevs’ka (1919) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Józef Bilczewski (1923)
    *] Isidor Dol’nyts’kyi (1924) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Vasyliia Hlibovyts’ka (1929) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Varvara Shapka (1942) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Ludwik Wrodarczyk (1973)
    *] Mykolai Charnets’kyi and 25 companions (1935-73) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Justyn Spyrłak and 7 companions (1941)
    *] Andrei Sheptyts’kyi (Roman Oleksander) (1944) Ukrainian Rite
    *] Teodor Romzha (1947) Ruthenian Rite
    *] Aleksander Khira (1983) Ruthenian Rite
    *] Petro Mekelyta and 47 Martyrs of Ukraine (1915-82) Ukrainian and Ruthenian Rites
    *] Roman Bakhtalovs’kyi (1985) Ukrainian Rite

    SLOVAK REPUBLIC

    1. *] Alojz Maria Chmel (1939)
      *] Anna Kolesárová (1944)
      *] Zdenka Schelingová (1955)
      *] Metod Dominik Trčka (1959)
      *] Pavlo Peter Gojdič (1960) Ruthenian Rite
      *] Michal Buzalka (1961)
      *] Titus Zeman (1969)
      *] Jan Vojtaššák (1965)
      *] Vasyl’ Hopko (1976) Ruthenian Rite

      *http://newsaints.fa*华体会体育
 
Lucretius said:
What is the difference between Ukrainian Catholicism/Orthodoxy and Byzantine Orthodoxy?
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I’m not too sure how to answer this. Byzantine Orthodox is just a fancy way of saying Eastern Orthodox, so Ukrainian Orthodox is a subset.

Since you also mentioned Catholics, are you looking for an explanation of Catholic-Orthodox differences?
 
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Peter_J said:
I’m not too sure how to answer this. Byzantine Orthodox is just a fancy way of saying Eastern Orthodox, so Ukrainian Orthodox is a subset.

Since you also mentioned Catholics, are you looking for an explanation of Catholic-Orthodox differences?
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I was trying to find if there is a difference between how the Ukrainians think and worship, how the Russains think and worship, and how the Greeks (in Constantiople) think and worship. Are the differences just the obvious, like the different languages used?

When I said Byzantine, I was thinking of the way the Christians in Byzantium (Istanbul) think and worship.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Lucretius said:
I was trying to find if there is a difference between how the Ukrainians think and worship, how the Russains think and worship, and how the Greeks (in Constantiople) think and worship. Are the differences just the obvious, like the different languages used?

When I said Byzantine, I was thinking of the way the Christians in Byzantium (Istanbul) think and worship.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
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Each is different due to language, history, and local practices. The Greek-Catholic representation in sui iuris Catholic churches today is numbered at 14.

http://forums.catholic-questions.org/picture.php?albumid=601&pictureid=9279
 
I am specifically looking for some of the local customs of the Ukrainian Rite.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Thanks for the clarification, Lucretius. I see now what you mean by Byzantine Orthodox.

I think your quest will be a difficult one (much like if someone was looking for differrences between, say, American Roman Catholics and Canadian Roman Catholics).
 
Peter_J said:
Thanks for the clarification, Lucretius. I see now what you mean by Byzantine Orthodox.

I think your quest will be a difficult one (much like if someone was looking for differrences between, say, American Roman Catholics and Canadian Roman Catholics).
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Oh , Ok! I was thinking that Ukrainians might have a major difference with the rest of the Greeks. I once went to an Ukrainian Greek Catholic Liturgy, and while most of it was in English, there was some Ukrainian spoken. I’m assuming that the only difference between the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Liturgies is the prayer for the Pope of Rome? I have never experienced an Orthodox Divine Liturgy before.

By the way, thank you everyone for all the resources! I hear that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church recently published its own official Catechism, Christ our Pascha. Is it translated into English yet (I’m not fluent in Ukrainian)? Where would I find it or buy it? I would really like to read it.

Christi pax,

Lucretius
 
Lucretius said:
Oh , Ok! I was thinking that Ukrainians might have a major difference with the rest of the Greeks.
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I see your point. My example (American Roman Catholics vs Canadian Roman Catholics) may not have been the best example. Perhaps I should have said e.g. American Roman Catholics vs Swedish Roman Catholics – that is, an example in which cultural differences are more pronounced.

For your question about the UGCC and the Ukrainian Orthodox, if you’re asking about ethnicity, than yes they are the same ethnicity. But in terms of religion that doesn’t change the fact that the former are Catholic and the latter are Orthodox.
 
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