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Who Laid The Easter Egg?

asimplesinner — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:24:20 +0000

Who Laid the Easter Egg?

Basilian Bishop, Kyr Dionysius Lachovicz, OSBM.

Four Basilian Consecrated Without Mandate This Month

In November 2007, the Catholic World News (www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=54919) reported on excommunication of Father Basil Kovpak, the head of the Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat Kuntsevych (SSJK), a group with ties to the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) which has been active among Byzantine Catholics in the Ukraine since the early 1990s. Bishops of the SPPX – themselves excommunicated because they were consecrated without approval from the Holy See – ordained two priests and seven deacons for the SSJK. On 23 March 2008, this past Easter Sunday (according to the Gregorian Calendar), the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC) published a communiqué about the latest schism to divide its unstable ranks. Four members of the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat – Eliáš Dohnal, Metoděj Špiřík, Markian Hitiuk and Robert Oberhauser – were consecrated bishops without having been nominated by the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Synod and without a papal approval. Thus, according to CCEO, canon 1459 §1, they have automatically encurred the penalty of excommunication.

Strangely, the UGCC communiqué has an air of uncertainty about it. It does not explicitly state they are excommunicated; rather, if all that is stated about these four Basilians is true, they await excommunication. What is not certain is who was their consecrator. A possible candidate seems to be Mychajlo Osidach, who claims to have been

consecrated a bishop in the underground church, on September 6, 1989, by Metropolitan Volodymyr Sterniuk and Bishop Filemon Kurchaba. Conveniently, both hierarchs are now dead and unable to confirm this claim. An article about Mychajlo Osidach’s episcopal consecration appears on a website associated with the four schismatic bishops (www.community.org.ua/ukrindex.html).

The this new schism has been in the incubation phase for years, having plagued the Basilian Order and the UGCC for over a decade.

However, the one who actually laid the egg that hatched this past Easter is Bishop Dionysius Lachovicz, the previous General Superior of the Basilian Order and now curial bishop of the UGCC. During his term as General Superior, he was infatuated with this messianic group and convinced of their savific role in the reform his order. Even against the advice of his general council, Lachovicz made decisions in favour of this group to the harm of his Order and to the Church, not only in Ukraine, but also in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. In the autumn of 1997, Lachovicz had been warned by the Basilian Superior in Poland, Volodymyr Juszczak (currently Bishop of Wroclaw-Gdansk), and by the entire Basilian provincial council in Slovakia, that this “potential sect” would, in the long run, cause grave damage to the Church if given a special mission within the Basilian Order. Despite such warnings, on 21 October 1997, Lachovicz issued a decree giving this divisive group the canonical status of an “experimental community”, under his own personal authority as General. Further, Lachovicz put their own leader, Eliáš Dohnal, in charge of forming the group’s novices, even though they had been dismissed from the Basilian novitiate in Poland. Nevertheless, on 11 May 1998, after a canonical visitation confirmed serious problems within this new community, Lachovicz was forced to revoke the canonical status of this “messianic group”. He issued a second decree on 9 December 1998, confirming the abolition of the experimental community, after the group petitioned the Congregation of the Oriental Churches for permission to set up an autonomous monastery in Slovakia against the will of the Bishop of Presov, Ivan Hirka.

By this point, you would think Lachovicz might have realised that this group has sectarian tendencies and were a threat to the Basilian Order's stability and reputation. Nevertheless, at the request to renew the Basilian presence in the Czech Republic of Greek-Catholic Apostolic Exarch, Ivan Ljavinec, Lachovicz signed a contract with both Ljavinec and Prague's Archbishop, Miloslav Cardinal Vlk on 2 November 1999. Lachovicz then assigned these controversial Basilian monks to form this new Basilian community. Moreover, Lachovicz even elevated the canonical status of their group to a "delegature" the Basilian Order. It didn't take long for the Prague community to wage war against its Apostolic Exarch, resulting in Bishop Ljavinec withdrawing pastoral jurisdiction from Metoděj Špiřík and Markian Hitiuk. In the meantime, on April 24, 2003, Ladislav Hučko was named to replace Ljavinec as exarch. On the day of Hučko’s consecration, 31 May 2003, this Basilian group organised a protest against the bishop-elect, blockading the Greek-Catholic Cathedral and forcing Hučko to receive his episcopal consecration in a nearby Roman Catholic parish. Not surprsingly, on 26 June 2003, Bishop Hučko asked the civil authorities to anull the registration of the Basilian Delegature in the Czech Republic. It should be noted that, the same year, this Basilian group also opened a monastery in Nitra, Slovakia, without the permission of either the Basilian Order or the local Slovakian Bishop.

Now that this group had burnt all of its bridges in Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Lachovicz sent them to to the Basilian monastery in Pidhirtsi, Ukraine. It was here that this fringe group sunk its roots into the soil of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. Lachovicz even wrote letters to the Lviv Metropolia’s Commission on the Family recommending some of these monks as retreat masters and formators. However, his “experimental community” saw its end at the Basilian General Chapter in 2004, which di not re-elect Lachovicz and which finally abolished the Czech Delegature.

Episcopal consecrations without a papal mandate are not a novelty in the UGCC and, while much more could be said, the intent of this post was to trace the genesis of these four new schismatic Basilian bishops. No one knows what bizzare turn this easter-egg tale will now take. Bishop Lachovicz has recently been nominated by the Ukrainian Catholic Synod of Bishops as substitute administrator in the case that Cardinal Cardinal Husar is unable to fulfill his office. If Lachovicz takes the helm of the UGCC, are we to expect the four schismatics Basilians to receive episcopal faculties? One cannot help but wonder how the UGCC’s crisis in leadership will end?

With a Patriarchate?

Four Ukrainian Bishops Consecrated Without Mandate Of Rome Or Major-Archbishop

asimplesinner — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 05:37:57 +0000

Is this a Greek Catholic Version of the SSPX?

Brief information about the new bishops of

the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church

+ Markian V. Hitiuk OSBM

Born in 1970, Ukraine. Joined the Order OSBM in 1990. Studied in Warsaw; ordained priest in 1997. In 2003 he received licentiate in theology at the University of Opole. At the present time he lives in the OSBM monastery in Pidhirtsi, the Diocese of Zhovkva.

+ Metoděj R. Špiřík OSBM

Born in 1968, Czech Republic. OSBM novitiate (1991-1992) as well as theo-logical studies finished in Warsaw. Or-dained priest in 1996; in 2002 he re-ceived doctorate in theology at Charles’ University in Prague. As a priest he served in Prague, mainly among Ukrai-nian believers, later he was transferred to Ukraine. At the present time he lives in the OSBM monastery in Pidhirtsi, the Diocese of Zhovkva.

+ Eliáš A. Dohnal OSBM

Born in 1946, Czech Republic. Ordained priest in 1972. Joined the OSBM Order in 1991. Novitiate finished in Warsaw; in 1999 he received doctorate in theology at Charles’ University in Prague. At the present time he lives in the OSBM monastery in Pidhirtsi, the Diocese of Zhovkva.

+ Samuel R. Oberhauser

Born in 1969, Slovak Republic. OSBM no-vitiate finished in Poland; ordained priest in Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine) in 2000. In 2008 he received doctorate in pedagogy at the University of St. Constantine Cyril in Nitra. At the present time he serves as parish priest in the village of Pidhirtsi, the Diocese of Zhovkva.

In an open letter to the Holy Father:

Your Holiness,

in sonly confidence we announce to You that we, Markian V. Hitiuk OSBM, Metoděj R. Špiřík OSBM, Eliáš A. Dohnal OSBM and Samuel R. Oberhauser were consecrated Greek-Catholic bishops. We did it in conscious obedience to You, Your Holiness – out of a desire for the salvation of our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC).

Our consecrators were those who became bishops in the time when our Church was liquidated by the betrayal and Communism. We are therefore true successors of the martyrish Church in contradistinction to those who received the spirit of betrayal. With respect to the fact that the information might be abused, all particulars concerning our consecration we will announce to You personally in an audience.

This consecration took place according to the prescribed liturgical observances. All of us 4 bishops of UGCC confess the Catholic faith, unity with You and sonly obedience to You. We are aware that we broke the canon 1459 §1 CCEO. We would like to clarify why we were obliged before God as well as before the Church to make this step. We want to add, too, that the Eastern canon code CCEO does not have punishments latae sententiae, that means, on the strength of law itself. In the Eastern Church every imposition of punishment must be preceded by an ecclesiastical trial. In our case the competent judge, in regard of can. 1060 §1 CCEO, can be only You Yourself.

Your Holiness, by this step we broke neither God’s law nor Church tradition, just a canonical prescription of the current canon law. When there is a man dying, in some events it is even permitted to jump a red signal light. Cardinal A. Casaroli and Cardinal A. Sodano, who You are well acquainted with, have built up inside the Church an antipapal and antichristian system which prevents the Holy Father from promoting God’s people and thereby God’s Spirit to the key posts. This system, especially in the UGCC, anxiously watches its positions and permits nobody among the bishops who would have the Spirit of Christ and who in his heart would be faithful to the Holy Father. The hierarchical structure built up in this way is doing quite the opposite of what You are striving for and what Christ desires. As a result, almost all Catholic theological faculties teach heretical views stemming from the historic-critical method (HCT). Representatives of the Church have opened themselves to the spirit of apostasy and moreover many of them no longer have faith in papacy and practically do not believe in the primacy and infallibility of the Holy Father.

Bishops, priests, religious and laymen have opened themselves to the spirit of occultism (homoeopathy, acupuncture, oriental meditations, modern psychological methods...) and syncretism with pagan religions (yoga, zen, martial arts, oriental philosophies...). However, the height of all is that there are still more and more bishops and priests who are homosexuals or paedophiles. In our Greek-Catholic Church there are several homosexual bishops, which is a scandal and decay of Christianity in its substance.

The antichristian system within the Church, enforced by Card. A. Casaroli, Card. A. Sodano and the present Prefect of Congregation for the Oriental Churches (COCh) Card. L. Sandri, has systematically and purposefully disintegrated our martyrish Church and has not only led her into a practical schism but also opened her to the spirit of apostasy.

When asking about the sense of the law stated in the canon code which prohibits consecration of a bishop without the consent of the Vatican – the answer is: To prevent consecration of a heretic, schismatic, apostate, homosexual... However, if observance of this law leads in practice to the exact opposite, which means that right such men are consecrated, while men who are moral, orthodox and faithful to the Holy Father are not consecrated, the prohibition stated in the canon law has lost its sense and turned harmful to the Church.

The crucial moments in the history of our martyrish Church were the so-called theological conclusions of Balamand, which the COCh and Card. L. Husar have adopted and realize them towards the liquidation of our UGCC. These conclusions state that our martyrish UGCC was an ecclesiological mistake and has no right to existence. Then, however, according to them even Your primacy is an ecclesiological mistake.

Another crucial moment in the liquidation of our Church was the illegitimate installation of Lubomyr Husar to the post of Head of UGCC. He was consecrated bishop not only without the consent of the Vatican but also without any serious need. Against the will of the Synod and against the will of three Metropolitans, Card. A. Sodano, Card. A. Silvestrini and Apostolic Nuncio A. Franko promoted to the post of Head of UGCC a man who had and has schismatic and apostatic views, as it is testified in his book "Discussions with Card. L. Husar: On Postconfessional Christianity". Immediately after his unlawful installation, Card. L. Husar began to liquidate whatever true Catholic opposition and to the key posts he appointed people with the spirit of schism or with the spirit of New Age.

An unwritten rule in the choice of UGCC bishops is the following conditions:

The candidate

1. must have the spirit of schism and call his believers "pravoslavni" ("Orthodox" – i.e. schismatics).
2. must have a negative attitude towards the devotions which in the time of illegality were the force for preserving the living faith and faithfulness to the Holy Father (the Rosary, the Way of the Cross, Worship of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus).
3. must also have the spirit of the world and the spirit of New Age.

Your Holiness, from among celibate or religious priests we alone have remained in fact (though there is a large number of priests in the UGCC who have the same attitude of mind) who have the courage to defend the identity of the UGCC as well as Your primacy and infallibility. We have faith, too, in the revival of our Church, and that was why we resolved to make this daring step.

Into Your hands, in regard of can. 1060 §1 pt. 2 CCEO, we commit the future of us and of the whole UGCC. Through this daring step of ours God is giving a chance even to You to open the Church for a spiritual awakening. In the time of Communism it was allowed not to respect certain canonical paragraphs with regard to an extraordinary situation. In the present time, even though there is external freedom, the conditions in our UGCC are, from a certain point of view, harder than in the time of illegality. Therefore the rule that was valid in illegality holds true even in our situation. Who consecrated us, when and where, this we will announce to You personally.

We share with You the unity of faith and are willing even to lay down our lives for the sake of You as the Vicar of Christ and for the sake of the Catholic Church. Your Holiness, even if You condemn us, we do remain Greek-Catholic bishops, but You would thus in fact condemn You Yourself and the whole truly Catholic stream in the Catholic Church which we represent. For we are striving for nothing else but in unity with You for the spiritual resurrection of the Church – for the purification of faith from HCT, from false respect for other religions, from the spirit of New Age and from moral delinquencies of the Church hierarchy – this all today is liquidating the Church at the root.

Should it be necessary to punish, then, Your Holiness, punish those who internally liquidate this Church; this will make sense for her purification.

Your Holiness, we ask You additionally for Your blessing to our episcopal consecration and for our inclusion in the Synod of UGCC.

Both to You and to the Synod of UGCC we propose the following solution:

1. To install one of us as diocesan bishop in the vacant Buchach eparchy (several weeks ago Bishop I. Bilyk OSBM was driven away from here by Card. L. Husar.), or in the planned Brody eparchy, or to divide the large eparchies into two.
2. To include the rest of us as auxiliary bishops, or to assign us for the renewal of religious, priests and seminaries, and at the same time to make the OSBM Monastery of Annunciation in Pidhirtsi exempt from the Order of St. Basil the Great and to establish it as a monastery of pontifical right. To appoint one of us three (+ Metoděj OSBM, + Markian OSBM, + Eliáš OSBM) as archimandrite.

With gratefulness in advance for Your blessing to the episcopal consecration and for the appointment to the service in the UGCC, and with a promise of faithfulness to You and to the Catholic Church:

+ Eliáš A. Dohnal OSBM

+ Metoděj R. Špiřík OSBM+ Markian V. Hitiuk OSBM+ Samuel R. Oberhauser

Monastery OSBM

Pidhirtsi, March 3, 2008

Copies to:

Cardinals and bishops of the Catholic Church
Synod of UGCC

Address: Monastery OSBM, Pidhirtsi 80660, Brody district, Lvov region, Ukrainewww.community.org.ua

More details on the UGCC bishop who has acted as their patron at least up into this point.