Exhibition “Kobzar as a singer of Ukrainian shrines” opens at the Kyiv Caves Monastery

On May 24, at the exhibition hall of the Holy Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Caves Lavra, on the 150th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko's reburial at Chernechey Hill in Kano with the blessing of Metropolitan Volodymyr an exhibition "Kobzar as a singer of Ukrainian shrines " opened, organized by the Synodal Department "Mission Church and Culture " .

Note that the exhibition presents artifacts from the personal collection of the Primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and from the collection of the Museum "Orthodox Ukraine, of the Kyiv Metropolis.

The exhibition will present examples of the creative poetic and artistic heritage of Taras Shevchenko. For he as an artist and master of expression depicted and described domestic shrines: the Kyiv Caves and Pochayiv Lavras, Mezhhyrya monastery, St. Elias Church in Subotiv, the Cross installed in the place of martyrdom of Prince Boris. Sometimes his pictures are the only evidence of the appearance of buildings, because some of the mentioned churches and monasteries were subsequently destroyed. The exhibition includes reproductions of paintings, collections of poetry, pre-revolutionary edition of Shevchenko's "Poet", posthumous publication of magazines "Osnova" (1861-1862) with selected works and memories of the relatives and friends of the poet, portraits by Taras Hryhorovych.

A special place in the exhibition occupies a copy of the facsimile edition of Peresopnytsia Gospel - one of the first Ukrainian translations of the canonical text of the Four Gospels, remarkable monument of old handwritten language and art of the XVI century.

Chairman of the Synodal Department "Mission Church and Culture" hegumeness Seraphima (Shevchyk), referring to the importance of the exhibition, pointed to a little known fact - Taras visited Pereyaslav region, where he saw the Peresopnytsya and described it. In addition, he described as an artist as a lot of places, such as the cross in the place of martyrdom of Prince Boris, the church in Subotiv, Pochayiv Lavra, monastery of Mezhyhyrya etc. It should be noted that sometimes his drawings are the only evidence of how these shrines looked, because some of the temples and monasteries have not survived by now.

"This exhibition is crucial for us. There we represent the paintings by Kobzar, his verses dedicated to the Orthodox shrines, including Peresopnitsya Gospel. Since the poet's hand touched it, leafed it through, he left a very exciting description of the Gospel, and said there is no longer such rarity and masterpiece anywhere. So for us, these anniversaries are united into a single whole ", said hegumeness.

The event is arranged to celebrate 450 years of the Peresopnytsia Gospel.

Note that at the state level the year 2011 was announced the Year of the Ukrainian First Book: now we celebrate the 450th anniversary of the Peresopnytsia Gospels and 455 years of its handwriting.



Source:  Official Website of the UOC-MP

US Senate resolution calls on Turkey to reopen Greek Orthodox Seminary 27 May 2011, Friday / TODAY'S ZAMAN, İSTANBUL A resolution introduced to the US Senate on Tuesday calls upon the Turkish government to facilitate the reopening of the Greek Orthodox Halki (or Heybeliada) seminary without further delay and to address other long-standing concerns regarding the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.   Benjamin Cardin, a US senator from Maryland from the Democratic Party who is also on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the US Helsinki Commission, introduced Senate Resolution 196. The resolution indicated that the Senate welcomed the historic meeting between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Patriarch Bartholomew I in August 2009 and applauds “positive gestures” by the Turkish government, including allowing the liturgical celebration by the patriarch at the historic Sümela Monastery and the return of the former Greek orphanage on the island of Büyükada to the patriarchate. Cardin told the Senate on Tuesday: “I was privileged to again meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew I, during his 2009 visit to the United States. His impassioned request to those of us gathered was for our support for the reopening of the Theological School of Halki, forcibly closed by the Turkish authorities in 1971. In this year marking the 40th anniversary of that tragic action, I urge the Turkish leadership to reverse this injustice and allow this unique religious institution to reopen.” Signed by the Democrats' Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and senators Robert Menendez, Jeanne Shaheen, Olympia Snowe and Sheldon Whitehouse, in addition to Cardin, the Senate resolution was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Public Demonstration Against Seizure of Territory of Tithe Church to Be Held

Source:  RISU

At noon on May 28, in Kyiv, a “public event for the museumification of the foundation of the Tithe Church and against the seizure of the territory of the monument by raiders” is to begin. This information was posted on the Internet by one of the organizers of the event, an active member of the movement for the preservation of historic monuments, Igor Lutsenko.

The event will be held near the Tithe Church.

The event is aimed to defend the idea of the museumifcation of the remains of the Tithe Church by creating an open-air museum of European standards with due representation of the foundation of the church of the 10th century, fragments of the mosaic and other artifacts.

“The Tithe Church urgently needs the help of Kyivans as on the night of May 26, equipment was transported to its territory and preparatory work for construction began. Priests of the UOC-MP whose building has been located on the museum territory illegally for a few years now, openly declare their plans to build a modern church in the place of the Tithe Church,” reads the report.

According to the organizers, “the so-called reproduction of the Tithe Church is a direct violation of the norms of international law on protection of monuments and sites, such as The International Charter for the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites (Venice, 1964), Charter for the Protection and Management of the Archaeological Heritage (1990), Lausanne, Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological heritage of Europe (Valetta, 1992), UNESCO Convention For Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage signed and ratified by Ukraine."
Джерело публікації: risu.org.ua

Presentation of the UGCC Catechism in June

Source:  RISU

A meeting of the Heads of church commissions of the UGCC started with a Divine Liturgy celebrated in St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv on May 23. Then the meeting continued in a conference hall of Lviv Archeparchy. Rev. Petro Rak, the Head of the Department of church commissions of the UGCC, opened the meeting.

Deputy Head of the Catechetical Commission s. Louisa Tsyupa told about one of the greatest events in the activity of the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission of the UGCC to take place at the end of June this year. She announced that on 24 June a Catechetical conference will take place in Lviv Spiritual Seminary of the Holy Spirit. The conference will begin with a Pontifical Divine Liturgy presided by His Beatitude Sviatoslav. During this event a new Catechism of the UGCC will be presented. The conference will be attended by people responsible for catechization in different countries of the world (Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, France etc). Moreover, a presentation of the newest papal document “On the Word of God” will take place on June 27. The presentation will be guided by Archbishop Nicola Eterovič who will be talking about the preparation of the Papal Synod of Bishops on new evangelization.

Rev. Mykhailo Harvat, the Head of the Catechetical commission of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric, presented the activity of the newly created commission. He talked about the commission’s program and told about the visitation of parish catechetical schools. “The basis of our ministry is the development of parish catechetical schools. This means a systematic catechization of children from the youngest age until they reach the adulthood, - noted Rev. Mykhailo. – The main principle of the visitations is to determine the level of catechetical teaching. We would like to single out the best priests and catechists of the UGCC working in the field of catechization and thus to encourage others to follow their example”.

On May 24 2011 His Beatitude Sviatoslav held a meeting with the workers of Metropolitan commissions of the UGCC in the hall of the Department of church commissions at St. George’s Cathedral.

UOC-MP Begins Construction at Site of Tithe Church (w/ video)

RISU


Trailers have been transported to the site of the foundation of the Tithe Church in Kyiv. Guards prevent people from taking photos. Priests say that construction is to be started, reported pravda.com.ua with reference to a deputy, Sviatoslav Oliinyk, who was an accidental witness of the events.

According to Oliinyk, on Wednesday, at eleven p.m., six lorries brought builders’ caravans to the foundation of the Tithe Church. The caravans were unloaded by a crane.

“Police came to the site, but no documents were produced at their request,” said the deputy.

According to Oliinyk, when one of those present began to take photos of the site, he was attacked by one of the people who brought the caravans.

Then, according to Oliinyk, a priest appeared. "When asked what was going on, he explained arrogantly way that the trailers have been transported to begin the construction of the Tithe Church.”

More "Wolves in Sheeps' Clothing"--A "Mystery???"

By Phil Lawler, Director, CatholicCulture.org

Ruth Kolpack doesn’t understand why she was dismissed from her post as a religious-education instructor for a Catholic parish in the Madison, Wisconsin diocese.

Brent King, a spokesman for the diocese, has an answer for her. Kolpack, he reports, had given public support to the ordination of women, announced her opinion that she herself could confect the Eucharist, and associated herself with groups “that clearly do not believe what the Church teaches.” Sounds reasonably clear, doesn’t it?

Not to Kolpack. After meeting with Bishop Robert Morlino, and refusing to renounce her heterodox views, she explained that she never promoted those views during her classroom time. In effect she claimed that while she believed heresy, she did not teach heresy.