(Префект Священної Конґреґації для Східніх Церков)
His Eminence Paul Cardinal Philippe, O.P.
The Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches
34 via della Conciliazione,
00193 Rome, Italy, Europe
Your Eminence,
The recent enunciations addressed to the Ukrainian Catholic hierarchy in various countries by his excellence most Reverend Archbishop Mario Brini, secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, and by papal nuncios and apostolic delegates, in which this hierarchy is strongly advised against actions aimed at the strengthening of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, are, in our opinion, unprecedented attempts to deny her the rights and privileges granted to her and confirmed on many occasions by the Holy See in the past.
We take the liberty, your Eminence, to express herewith our strong protest against such attempts which, in fact, violate the rights and privileges of this particular church within the universal Catholic Church.
We protest on our own behalf, on behalf of the Ukrainian Catholic laity in the Diaspora, and especially on behalf of our brothers in faith in Ukraine, who, under the existing circumstances are prevented from expressing their indignation in this case.
Lay organizations: Ukrainian Patriarchal World Federation for Unity of Church and People; Society for the Promotion of the Patriarchal System in the Ukrainian Catholic Church, USA; Federation of Associations of Ukrainian Catholic Intellectuals «Obnova», USA; Association of Brotherhoods and Sisterhoods of Ukrainian Catholic Church in USA.
The above-mentioned organizations met on special meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on September 10, 1977.
Presidium:
Dr. Wolodymyr Baczynskyj
Mychajlo Boyko
Roman Danylewycz
Roma Hayda
