“We need objective scientific methodology to de-ideologize the figure of Josaphat”: Head of the UGCC
On November 13–14, after the Jubilee Year of the 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of St. Josaphat, the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome hosts an international scientific conference, “Identity and Cult: Theological, Cultural, and Historical Dimensions of Josaphat Kuntsevych.” It is being broadcast live by Zhyve Television. Scholars from Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, and other countries were greeted by the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
“We have been waiting for this day for a long time. We have been preparing all year long to truly experience this 400th anniversary of the martyrdom of the bishop of our church, St. Josaphat,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav at the conference’s opening. Quoting his predecessor, His Beatitude Lubomyr, he emphasized that every anniversary is a beautiful opportunity to pray, ponder, learn, reflect, and seek answers to current challenges and difficulties.
The Head of the UGCC thanked the scholars who not only devoted time to studying this important figure of the Catholic Church during the year but will also present the fruits of their work at this conference.
For centuries, the Primate noted, many ideologies have tried to obscure the personality of St. Josaphat. According to him, the ancient Kyivan Church, born from the preaching of the Church of Constantinople after the restoration of communion with the Apostolic See, experienced a glorious time in its history.
And St. Josaphat became the embodiment of this significant but also tragic moment. “Josaphat gave such a strong impetus that he even, as they say, formed the identity of four nations: Lithuanian and Ukrainian, Belarusian and Polish. This conference, bringing together scholars from Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, demonstrates that the impulse given at the time when modern nations were born can help us find answers to modern challenges.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized: “We need the objectivity of scientific methodology to de-ideologize the figure of St. Josaphat, as well as those real processes of seeking the unity of Christ’s Church, unity in our communities, unity and communion between the disciples of Christ.”
“We ask St. Josaphat, who will be the object of study during this conference, to intercede in heaven for all of us,” concluded the Head of the UGCC.
The UGCC Department for Information
