Christian Contribution To Ukraine Democracy

VATICAN, Jun. 15, 01 (CWNews.com) - Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, emphasized the role of Christian believers in building up the society of Ukraine, as he participated in a colloquium marking that country's 10 years of independence since the fall of the Soviet empire.

Archbishop Tauran said that when the Pope visits Ukraine later this month, he will bring "a message of peace and of hope." At the same time, he added, the Holy Father will pay homage to the Christians of Ukraine who have suffered through years of oppression, "following their great bishops and spiritual guides, keeping intact their Catholic faith through their unswerving loyalty to the Pope of Rome."

While he acknowledged that there are still tensions between Byzantine-rite Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine, the archbishop said that it is wrong "to give the false impression that Ukraine is caught up in a religious war." He pointed out that a joint working group including both Orthodox and Catholic representatives had helped to ease tensions between the two religious bodies.

Christians have a special role to play in building up the secular state after years of atheistic Communist rule, Archbishop Tauran said. While Christianity is not a political system, he explained, the faith "gives ethical references that one cannot do without. Democracy, he concluded, cannot flourish without the fundamental principles inspired by religious faith, such as "justice, freedom, the equal dignity of persons, and what we call the rights of men."

Catholic World News Service - Vatican Update
15. juni 2001