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Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty
Henry M. Robert

"WHAT IS HECUBA TO THE GERMANS?"

13 November, 2012 - 00:00

By Klara GUDZYK, The Day
Today's world is strange, it differs essentially from the one we were so
used to only fifty years ago. For example, what guides the developed countries
in their relationship with their less fortunate neighbors - rational egotism
or high humanism? They might live in pleasure, without caring for our hardships.
"What is he to Hecuba, what is Hecuba to him?" wrote William Shakespeare
of an actor's earnest sobs onstage. In the meantime, the erstwhile indifference
and closeness of some countries is being actively superseded by a feeling
of involvement.

A Ukrainian delegation visiting Germany by invitation of the Konrad
Adenauer Foundation became convinced of this. The delegation was mainly
composed of the clergy of our three Orthodox communities (including two
archbishops), while the visit's goal was to familiarize the group with
religious life in Germany. The delegation was small, so even if we had
all learned from the experience of our German colleagues, it would be hard
to expect any fundamental and immediate results. The trip was not cheap:
take the air tickets, room and board, the bus, extensive travel throughout
Germany, and free literature, let alone meetings with many very busy people,
such as church hierarchs, professors, Foundation executives, and German
national charitable organizations. They were in greater number than the
"students," and frankly they sometimes looked more interested in our common
cause than we did ourselves.

As we know, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation was founded to keep and safeguard
peace, democracy, and human rights throughout the world. Why has the Foundation
turned its gaze to Ukrainian Orthodoxy? Obviously because it believes that
its current condition (in particular, a split into three churches, but
not only this) poses a certain menace to human rights and stability in
this country. Germany showed us an unusual (for us) religious panorama:
it is not only unity but also continuous cooperation between different
denominations, which were in bloody enmity for centuries. Today, interdenominational,
as well as church-state, relations are pervaded by one spirit, joint efforts
for the public good.

The social activism of the two big German churches, Roman Catholic and
Evangelical (Protestant), are impressive in their scale, organization,
professionalism, and, what is more, the virtually infinite trust people
place in church leaders and organizations who handle billions of Deutschmarks
every year. Churches maintain kindergartens, educational institutions,
hospitals, and shelters; they deal with immigrants, etc. Let us remember,
by the way, that Orthodox churches still do not have a so-called social
doctrine which would channel their activities in society. It is evident
that we badly miss this activity.

It was interesting to watch the way our hosts worked at seminars, trying
to put across to us their values and their approach to people. How many
examples of tolerance and church unity they gave! For instance, this story.
A Catholic cathedral of the ancient Trier diocese (founded in the third
century) contains a relic, the tunic of Jesus Christ. According to St.
John's Gospel, on Golgotha the soldiers tore it and the other clothes off
Christ and divided the booty among themselves by lot. The tunic is said
to have come to Trier by the mysterious ways of Divine Providence. Every
thirty years the invaluable relic is taken out of a closed tabernacle and
displayed to the public. This is a great feast for Catholics: at this time
Trier receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world.
Protestants are known to have rejected the veneration of saints and relics.
Nor do they recognize the Trier tunic. But when the latter was last displayed
in 1996, Protestant churches also took part in the festivities "out of
respect for the beliefs of our Christian brothers."

How did our clergymen react to such examples? I am afraid there was
no reaction at all, though I would like to be mistaken here. All this seemed
to be going on somewhere else, in a different religious world, under
alien laws. The same was felt during the debates on such problems as, say,
attitudes toward new churches or denominations ("sects"). The slightest
mention (practically none) of the activity of these religious communities
piqued our interest and attention. While discussions about the anti-constitutionality
of some limitations and infringements on freedom of worship were treated
with obvious unwillingness. There were even attempts to "educate" the Germans
and show them a stricter position.

While in Germany, I thought involuntarily of one thing: what kind of
people are we? Why do other peoples and representatives of different denominations
have to teach and even reconcile our spiritual leaders (at their own expense,
I might add)? And we are unable to show even sincere gratitude. So, why
did we go?

Kyiv - Bonn - Kyiv

 

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