“The Kobzar of Independent Ukraine”: Memoirs of His Beatitude Sviatoslav about Patriarch Lubomyr presented in Kyiv
On December 19, the Taras Shevchenko Central Library for Children in Kyiv hosted a presentation of the book “Kobzar of Independent Ukraine. His Beatitude Sviatoslav about His Beatitude Lubomyr”, a book of memoirs of the Head of the UGCC about Patriarch Lubomyr Husar.
The book was presented by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and Ms. Oksana Klymonchuk, who recorded and compiled his memoirs. The conversation was moderated by the poetess Mariana Savka, founder and editor-in-chief of the Old Lion Publishing House, which published the book.
The book “The Kobzar of Independent Ukraine” by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head of the UGCC, describes Lubomyr Husar’s path to the patriarchate of the UGCC, his role in the formation of Ukrainian independence, the development of the Church after the collapse of the USSR, and the way he facilitated the arrival of Pope John Paul II and changed the world’s attitude toward Ukraine.
According to the book’s compiler, Ms. Oksana, the idea for the book came two years after the death of His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar. Still, the title had been prepared even before that: “The title arose when we were saying goodbye to Patriarch Lubomyr when I listened to the farewell sermon of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in which he named him a kobzar. I remember this very much. I hadn’t thought about what I wanted to do with the book’s title, but it lived with me.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the presentation was an occasion to honor the memory of a great man, His Beatitude Lubomyr, as this year we celebrate his 90th birthday: “Many different events that we wanted to organize this year share one goal — to do everything so that over time his figure does not distance from us, but rather draws closer.”
“When we speak of His Beatitude Lubomyr, we speak of a truly great man… Recalling the giants of the spirit whom the Lord sent to our nation and our Church — the righteous Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, the great, courageous, unbreakable Patriarch Yosyf — we can say that His Beatitude Lubomyr is from their fellowship,” said the Head of the UGCC.
The presentation of the book was held in the style of a conversation and memories of Patriarch Lubomyr Husar of blessed memory, at the end of which His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed the audience with a request not to break the personal relationship with His Beatitude Lubomyr and not to leave him alone in the crypt of the Patriarchal Cathedral. He also encouraged everyone to document their thoughts and memories of the cardinal in a book in the cathedral’s crypt.
You can purchase the book at this link.
The UGCC Department for Information
