Schism = manipulation?

We all are very different in our thoughts, views, and opinions. The diversity and richness of the humankind lies in this, since all of us are different, unique, and free at the same time. In the today’s world, legislative platforms create this freedom and guarantee it on any level. The existing Ukrainian legislation also does not exclude these characteristics, in particular in the Law of Ukraine “On Freedom of Consciousness and Religious Organizations,” which guarantees citizens the right to “accept or change faith in accord with their will.” However, the legislation does not prohibit the existence of sects, which call themselves NGOs.

THE EVOLUTION OF DIVISIONS AND THE CONTEMPORARY DIMENSION

When we look at the main stages of the history of the Church, starting from the first centuries of Christianity, we understand that the phenomenon of sectarianism has always been present there. The word “sect” originates from the Latin word secta, which means “a part.” Let us remember the history of ecumenical councils [conferences of bishops. – Author] during the 4th and 5th centuries A.D. Year 325 – the First Council of Nicaea, during which Arianism was repudiated, which, if to explain it in modern terms, was a belief of the Arian sect that denied the unanimity of the Father and the Son with God the Father. After that, the Church created the common text of the Creed, which we speak today during liturgy: “We believe in one Lord Jesus Christ... being of one substance with the Father...  by Whom all things were made.” The year 431 saw the Council of Ephesus and condemnation of Nestorianism. Nestorius’ heresy emphasized the connection between Jesus Christ’s human personality with divine nature, that is, the divine being was not born by Virgin Mary [Nestorius called her Christotokos (Bringer forth of Christ). – Author], but came through Jesus. In the year 451 the Council of Chalcedon was held, with the condemnation of Eutyches’ teaching of monophysitism, which declared the divine nature of Jesus Christ as the only one and rejected his human origin.

The analysis of these key events in the history of the Church lets us comprehend the evolution of sectarianism as a phenomenon. The examples above show that a distinct theological context was typical for the first Christian churches. The rejection of main dogmas and detachment were accompanied by profound arguments on denial of separate postulates of the Church’s doctrine. But what does a modern sect look like? What are the main motifs and strategies of communication and attracting new followers?

In Lviv, the conflict between the parish of the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and adepts of the so-called Dohnal group, which calls itself the Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church, has reached the stage of a court trial. This conflict has a long history. On May 14, 2010, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Ukraine gave a positive reply to the Lviv UGCC Archbishop’s letter about the revival of the pastoral care in the former Jesuit church, now the Church of Saint Apostles Peter and Paul. He, along with Jesuit monks, also expressed willingness to join the pastoral service in the church or anywhere on the territory of Lviv Archeparchy of the UGCC. On July 8, 2010, according to the resolution No. 3698 by the Lviv City Council, the church building was given to the curia of the Lviv Archeparchy of the UGCC. Today, the main task of the church’s priests is pastoral care of the military, students, and orphans. Adepts of the Dohnal group have been claiming the rights of ownership of the church building for their own religious organization. They carry out services right outside the church every Sunday and on major holidays, which undoubtedly interferes with the official service of the UGCC priests. This was emphasized by the senior priest of the Garrison Church, Father Stepan Sus, in an appeal to the city’s authorities and the District Court of Lviv. The priest stated in an official letter that it is not about the attempts to take over the church, but also about attacks on his personal security. According to the sources, the Dohnal group has been functioning in Ukraine for about four years, the main centers of its activity being located in western Ukraine. The group was founded by Antonin Dohnal, who was born in the Czech Republic and ordained in a Roman Catholic church there. However, later he switched confession along with other Roman Catholics, including Richard Spirik, who is now present in the Ukrainian organization, and joined the novitiate of the Rule of Saint Basil the Great. In 1999, a group of monks that had consolidated round the figure of Dohnal, proposed the reform of the Basilian Order. The group was attempting to get real power in the Greek Catholic Church in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, but they failed. At the same time, the community tried to register the UGCC in the Czech Republic, but they were denied. At the beginning of the new century, Dohnal’s group starts its activity in Ukraine. The main messages of the organization are speaking against the current UGCC clergy and against the Pope. Besides, the organization openly opposes the integration of Ukraine into the EU, rejecting the anti-Christian lifestyle of modern Europe. Recently, Lviv District Court prohibited adepts of Dohnal’s group to carry out services near the Garrison Church, and the Appellate Administrative Court ordered the cancellation of registration of the NGO “The Union of Believers of the Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church.” But the court decision did not discourage the representatives of the religious organization. They still continue “Sunday gatherings” not far from the Garrison Church under the supervision of the police. Besides, the order for Antonin Dohnal’s deportation was issued two years ago, but it was never carried out.

MEDIA SPECTRUM

The Lviv-based media continue lively discussions of this religious conflict. Not only local, but national TV channels as well have published stories and even entire programs on Dohnal’s group functioning in Ukraine. It was stated that the organization’s activities are aimed at the destruction of families, violence, and manipulating people’s consciousness. Instead, the Internet channel of the so-called Orthodox Greek Catholics published a video appeal of the organization’s “clergy.” Fake bishops [according to the Church’s documents. – Author] accused the head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, of bribing the media and reorienting them to take his side. By the way, a few students of the journalism department at the Lviv National University received e-mails from the Dohnal group representatives containing arguments against European integration with an appeal to block this initiative.

And a few days ago, adepts of Dohnal’s group held their own anti-European protest near Euromaidan in Lviv, but they were soon surrounded by students and activists, who were chanting “Sect, go away!” and the protest was over. A similar protest was dispersed in the same way with application of physical force in Drohobych, Lviv oblast. Law-enforcement officers intervened in both clashes. 

The analysis of the cited facts, which are provided by the court orders, official appeals, and decisions of the UGCC, Lviv-based and national media, brings forth numerous conclusions. But let each one of us think about it ourselves. It would be appropriate to quote a part of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky’s speech “How to build one’s own house” to the clergy, where he said that without the unity of our spiritual life in a true Church, we are not going to happen not only as a state, but as a true nation. That is why we should take care of our spiritual immunity.

COMMENTARY

Father Stepan SUS, senior priest of the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church, Lviv:

“The role of mass media in bringing the truth to the community about the activities of destructive sects in Ukraine, the so-called Dohnal sect being among them, is quite significant. Firstly, the media tried to cover the standpoints of both parties. Secondly, people had an opportunity to see the danger the so-called modern sects bring in their ‘sermons,’ the main goal of which is to gather the discontent and brainwash them with ‘truth’ only for the brainwashers’ financial benefit. I think that while covering the topic of Dohnal’s sect, mass media drew attention to the fact that our people need religious education to be able to tell the good from the evil.”