(Radio Commentary)
Many Ukrainians, particularly those who are 35 and over, often complain about the lack of involvement of our young people in Church and in religion in general. This particular problem is not exclusive to our day and age, for in the past, young people have often expressed feelings of alienation and dissatisfaction with their Church. At this stage of history, however, the attitude of the young to religion and toward the Ukrainian Catholic Church as a whole, is of particular importance, inasmuch as we are now in a very critical period of our development. To be sure, the situation is not as bleak as some people imagine it. Many young people are actively engaged in the patriarchal movement. Few of us will ever forget those young men and women who staged the hunger in front of the Cathedral on Franklin Street, in Philadelphia, during the turbulent times in May of 1971. Fervor and dedication was also exhibited by those who demonstrated at the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia and at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. And even if many people of the older generation might have disagreed with the methods employed by those courageous youngsters, no one could accuse them of not being involved in the affairs of their Church, and of not taking their religion seriously. The difficulty however, insofar as youth is concerned lies in the everyday commitment to religion and the Church. Young people are easily turned off, if nothing new is offered them on an almost daily basis, if there is nothing to interest them; to arouse their emotions. Perhaps one of the factors involved here is the lack of opportunity for the young people to contribute to Church life on a daily basis. There are far few young and imaginative priests and dedicated laymen who could take it upon themselves to work with you young people and to get them involved with affairs of the Church.
Equally important here is the unfortunate condition in which our Church finds itself at present. The Ukrainian young people in general, love and revere Patriarch Josyf Slipyy; to them he is truly a heroic figure. But at the same time, they are keenly aware that many members of our hierarchy and of our clergy are not only totally committed to His Beatitude’s ideas although they profess to be just that. Young people, perhaps better that anyone else, have the ability to sense hypocrisy, and they react to it by withdrawing. The problem therefore, that presents itself, can be viewed as lack of models for young people to emulate. There are settle too few priests and bishops whom the young would consider real Christians, real Ukrainian Catholics; people who are absolutely and totally committed to the defense of their Church and her .Patriarch. In addition, the state of the Universal Church, her current attitude toward the Soviets and Communism in general, is not conducive, to the development of Christian virtues among the young.
Thus it would appear, that the reasons for certain lackadaisical attitudes of our young people lie both within them and within the world in which they live. And both the older generation as well as the younger, live in a world which is thoroughly secularized and in which the role of religion is a minimal one. But it is precisely this latter factor which can be utilized in getting our young people interested in religion. The Ukrainian Catholic Church, perhaps more than any other branch of Christendom offers at present immense opportunities for young people who have the integrity and the courage to embrace her ideals. No other Church in the world has such a great number of martyrs and confessors of faith among its ranks.and no other church in the world has so many powerful enemies both without and within as the Ukrainian Catholic Church. As a result no other Church in the world needs its youth as badly as the Ukrainian Catholic Church. Commitment, dedication and a militant spirit are characteristics generally attributed to the young. The Ukrainian Catholic Church at this moment in history needs all these qualities in order to survive. Let us hope, that the young Ukrainians among us will become conscious of their mission within the Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Dionisij M. Karaman
La Salle College
Philadelphia, Pa.
