Politicians trying to outdo each other discrediting the Ukrainian state
Another political scandal broke out last week and, as has often been the case, turned out to be another tragicomic farce. At a news conference prior to the third session of the Verkhovna Rada, Socialist leader Oleksandr Moroz declared he was in possession of information showing that “all ranking officials in Ukraine, ranging from the head of SBU to Minister of Defense to General Prosecutor” are members of the Lodge of the Order of St. Stanislaus, a Masonic order headed by the Great Prior Chevalier Pavlo Vialov. According to the parliamentary Opposition, members of the lodge cannot be civil servants, because they regard their lodge membership as superior to the law, including the Constitution of Ukraine.
On that particular occasion, however, Oleksandr Moroz did not measure up to his reputation as a major expose’ expert and the whole affair never approached the “cassette” level. Leonid Kravchuk of the SDPU(U) faction was the first to respond. In an interview with Interfax Ukraine, he made no secret of being a member of the Order, but stressed that this organization could not be qualified as a secret Masonic lodge. The Order of St. Stanislaus openly functions in Ukraine, as well as in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Great Britain, German, Poland, Russia, US, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. Anyone can learn more about it by accessing www.stanislav.org.ua. All media representatives were invited to attend the lodge’s International Autumnal Ball held in Kyiv on September 21, 2002..
There is another issue here. Did reason, morals, and ethics encourage such “meteor shower” in an impoverished and tattered society? This is a separate question for another time.
The head of the lodge, Chevalier Pavlo Vialov also refuted the Opposition’s accusations of freemasonry and said he would bring the matter to court. He called the accusations, “Madman’s ravings.” He continued, “There are dozens of such orders across the world, noted personalities in all countries are members, does this make them criminals? Trying to make it look like freemasonry is ridiculous. I will sue them.” He made these comments in an interview with Public Radio reproduced by the Ukrayinska Pravda (www.pravda.com.ua), adding, “We rewarded the most respectable people in Ukraine, those we thought deserved the honor.”
Vialov asked why these people should be slandered. He urged the Opposition to produce documents or oath signed by any Ukrainian political leaders. “It’s just that they need another political scandal,” he said. The Chevalier pointed out that the Order of St. Stanislaus is a purely benevolent organization, sustained by members’ charitable donations. He stressed that over 300 political and public figures of Ukraine are indeed recipients of the Order of St. Stanislaus, in recognition of their merits, preservation of chivalrous traditions, and their implementation in the modern world.
According to historian Kost Bondarenko, the Order of St. Stanislaus is not a Masonic lodge, because its principles do not tally with those of the Freemasons. First, “Freemasons have certain rituals.” Next, “They are totally alien to these titles of nobility; with the Freemasons, everyone is equal and a brother.” But the Ukrainian order “plays with titles of nobility and suchlike; this contradicts the Masonic regulations. Another thing is that the Freemasons have a certain objective: changing the world for the better by changing themselves. In our case people are singled out as the best because they consider themselves to be ones. They join that organization and pay certain dues.” Bondarenko believes that the Order of St. Stanislaus and similar organizations supply the unsatisfied needs of the so-called Ukrainian social elite.
