Churches played a major part in the process of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation

 ‘What has happened so far in the Polish-Ukrainian relations on the initiative of the Churches in Poland and Ukraine has prepared us for the present relations between the Poles and the Ukrainians. It has not been in vain, as testified to by our present relations, particularly by the openness and generosity of thousands of Poles who host Ukrainian refugees from the war caused by Russia,’ rev. Stefan BATRUCH writes.

.Every reconciliation is a process: it has its beginning, some development dynamics, and aims at reaching completion to become a sincere and actual reconciliation. As far as the Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation is concerned, the process can be divided into at least two phases: before 1990, and after 1990. The date is important because, before 1990, until the systemic transformation in Poland and the former USSR, the issue of Polish-Ukrainian relations was highly politicised. For example, one could not conduct a direct dialogue among the church authorities and the clergymen because Christianity was officially banned in the Soviet Union and had to go underground. All the bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church were either kept in camps or, when released, moved abroad.

In Poland, the situation was also difficult and required continuous negotiations with the authorities. Primate Stefan Wyszyński was also highly involved in the aid to the Greek-Catholic Church to survive those difficult times because he acted as the ordinary, the person fully in charge of the development and situation of the Greek-Catholic Church when that Church lacked its own authorities. Also, the Archbishop of Krakow, Cardinal Karol Wojtyła played a major role in the maintenance of relations among our communities. The first contact with Cardinal Josyf Slipyj were established in the context of the Second Vatican Council when Cardinal Slipyj spoke at the plenary session about the high number of victims in the Greek-Catholic Church because of their loyalty to the Holy See.

Another important moment was when Cardinal Josyf Slipyj brought the relics of St. Josaphat, kept from the early 20^th century in Biała Podlaska, which then, in 1963, reached Rome via Vienna. His goal to place the relics in St. Peter’s Basilica, and he managed to achieve it: they have been placed in the altar of St. Basil the Great. We also suspect that Karol Wojtyła participated in that event, and this made an impact on him, causing him to cooperate later, via Dominican Father Feliks Bednarski, with the aim at sharing experiences and views of Polish and Ukrainian theologists. Both officials supported that initiative.

Father Feliks Bednarski himself loudly spoke about the need to seek paths to reconciliation and cooperation among the Poles and the Ukrainians, among Roman Catholics from Poland and Greek Catholics from Ukraine. It was in that cooperation that he perceived a path to overcome the difficult situation of our countries under the communist regime. Another step in this entire process was the election of Karol Wojtyła as the Pope John Paul II. Just one month later, Cardinal Josyf Slipyj visited the new pope to present his proposal of organising common celebration of the 1000^th anniversary of Baptism. The Polish Pope not only approved the idea but was delighted with it. So, although Cardinal Slipyj died soon after, in 1984, John Paul II as if took over the programme and started implementing it. And so, on his initiative, a meeting of the Episcopacy of Poland and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was organised in 1987. It took place at the Polish College and the Ukrainian College in Rome. At the time, some important declarations were made about the need to detach from the painful past that divided the Poles and the Ukrainians, to think about cooperation which is necessary and important, and that one cannot endlessly quantify the wrongs, the pain and suffering of both nations. At the time, the parties also noted the important role of Russia in conflicting the Poles and the Ukrainians.

One year after the meeting, celebration of the One Thousand Years’ Anniversary of the Kievan Rus’ Baptism: first in Rome, with active participation of John Paul II, and then in the Jasna Gora Sanctuary in Czestochowa in September, participated both by the new head of the Greek Catholic Church, Cardinal Miroslaw Lubacziwski, and the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Józef Glemp, as well as other authorities. These were actually the first and major meetings of both Poles and Ukrainians after World War II. They were to show that we pray together, but also together step on the path to reconciliation, which should help us to detach from the painful memories of the past.

When the breakthrough of 1989 and 1990 occurred, Cardinal Miroslaw Lubacziwski returned from Rome to Lviv, and a year later, in 1991, John Paul II visited Przemysl. The situation was difficult because the intention was to hand over the former Greek Catholic cathedral to the reborn Greek Catholic Church during his visit to Przemysl. There were, however, people who did not like it and a committee was established to object against such decisions. At the time, John Paul II, with the help of the local bishop, found a Solomon’s solution: he handed over the garrison church to the Greek Catholics, which still remains the seat of the Archbishop of Przemysl and Warsaw. It was also there that John Paul II addressed the first important words to Greek Catholics. ‘Brothers and sisters, I wish with all my heart that the Greek-Catholic celebration on Jasna Gora (Czestochowa) [in 1987 – editor’s note] would prove to be prophetic in another way. May it be pleasing to God as a symbol of the reconciliation and brotherhood between Ukrainians and Poles. Both our nations have passed through so much bitterness and torment during the last few decades. May this experience serve as purification to allow us to look from a perspective onto former disputes, resentments, and mutual distrust, and may it facilitate mutual forgiveness for former wrongs. Today literally everything, and principally our common faith in Jesus Christ, calls for reconciliation, brotherhood, and mutual respect; for seeking what unites us. Any attempt to revive the historical nationalisms and aversions would be against the Christian identity and a glaring anachronism, unworthy of two great nations,’ the Polish Pope said.

And this is, indeed, what started happening later.

The 1990s were obviously the time when the Church, both in Poland and Ukraine, underwent certain reorganisation, an administrative reform of structures involving a new administrative division. In 2001, the existing head of the Greek Catholic Church, Mirosław Lubacziwski, died, and then John Paul II visited Ukraine. During the Mass held in Lviv by John Paul II, the new head of the Greek Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Huzar, asked for forgiveness in front of a two million audience of Ukrainian followers. He apologised to the Poles and relatives of all those to whom the Ukrainians – Christians and Greek Catholics – caused suffering or innocent death. It was extremely important he did so before John Paul II and such a vast audience, including from Poland.

What has happened so far in the Polish-Ukrainian relations with the encouragement of the Churches in Poland and Ukraine has prepared us for the present relations between the Poles and the Ukrainians. At the moment, it is important to commemorate the victims of various crimes committed both in Ukraine and in Poland. Certainly, the proportions of those victims entirely differ, which is why the Church authorities should gather the courage to address respective ministries to commemorate such victims as soon as possible. Appropriate state funds should be allocated for that purpose so that such commemoration is fair, with appropriate form, and not just impromptu. What has happened in the Polish-Ukrainian relations after the outbreak of full-scale Russian invasion in Ukraine, in particular the response of regular Poles hosting the refugees in their own homes, showed that the existing efforts taken by the Churches were not in vain. It then turned out that, despite difficult events from the past that divide us, there was some internal belief that we are very close nations and, faced with a threat, we can and should support one another.

.Currently, the major challenge in our mutual relations is to avoid extreme emotions on both the Polish and the Ukrainian part. While studying our common tragic past, we should draw attention to the reliability of such research and honest discussions. So far, the emotions, often extreme, have caused many misunderstandings. Nowadays, however, we need a calm dialogue, sincere discussion, and explanation of all disputable issues to reach a common position. Let us hope that, with God’s help, we will be successful.

Ks. Stefan Batruch