November 21, 1977
To the Sacred Congregation for Eastern Churches
transmitted through The Most Reverend Jean Jadot,
Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Washington, D. C.
Your Excellency:
As faithful of the autonomous Ukrainian Catholic Church in union with Rome, it is with deepest regret that we voice our disappointment and lodge this protest against the Holy See’s denial of the rights of our Church. The Holy See, in nominating the new Metropolitan of Philadelphia without coming to an understanding with the Primate of our Church — Patriarch and Cardinal Joseph, and in planning the installation of the newly appointed Metropolitan Joseph Shmondiuk by the Roman Catholic hierarchy, clearly has deprived our Church of its rights.
Could not the Holy See heed the appeal of the Ukrainian Catholic faithful and let the Primate of the Ukrainian Catholic Church officiate at the ceremony of installation of the new Matropolitan? Such an act would cause no harm but would contribute to the strengthening and well-being of the Church.
We hope and pray that our petition will find a sympathetic ear and that the Holy See will let Patriarch Joseph come to Philadelphia for the installation ceremony.
We beg you to do everything in your power to intercede in our behalf; We hope that a positive resolution of this matter will make any further action on our part unnecessary.
Faithfully yours in Christ,
For the Society:
Wasyl Kaczmar, (chairman)
Mykola Haliv, (secretary)
