TORONTO, Ont.-Three married Ukrainian Catholic priests, who were suspended from their duties by the Vatican in mid-September 1975, are continuing to celebrate Liturgy and hear confessions in defiance of the Holy See instructions.
Their actions are reportedly supported by Bishop Isidore Borecky of the Toronto eparchy, who, according to The Toronto Star, sent an appeal to the Vatican in which he defends not only the three priests, but also his rights to ordain married men into the priesthood.
«It is our sworn duty to resist encroachments from the tradition of other churches, especially from the Latin Rite canon law,» wrote Bishop Borecky, according to The Toronto Star.
The appeal says the Ukrainian Catholics in Canada plan to observe their historical Eastern traditions in spite of opposition from Rome and will resist further interference from the Holy See.
The appeal goes on to charge the Latin Rite with «ecclesiastical totalitarianism,» «Roman trickery,» and a loss of credibility in the modern world.
The three priests, Revs. Taras Lozynsky, John Girhiny and Andrew Kormaniak, were ordained by the Toronto eparchy’s Auxiliary Bishop Michael Rusnak on September 7, 1975. Two weeks later, on orders from the Holy See, he sent a letter to the three clergymen, informing them of their suspension.
The Holy See claimed that on the basis of a December 23, 1929, decree by the Sacred Congregation for Eastern Churches, married men cannot be ordained without permission of the Pope. The Vatican also charged that the priests were not academically qualified.
Bishop Borecky wrote the Vatican early this month that the priests were qualified «scholars, who, in their academic attainment, excel by far the average Catholic priest.»
Rev. Girhiny holds a Doctorate in mathematics and has completed extensive theological studies. Rev. Lozynsky received a master’s degree in counseling as well as in theology. Rev. Kormaniak has a bachelor’s degree in theology and has completed most of his theological work at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary in Pittsburgh, Pa., and at St. Michael’s College here.
Rev. John Tataryn, spokesman for the three priests and pastor of St. Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church, said that the Holy See had no right to interfere in the situation and claimed that the bishops were acting within their legal and canonical rights to ordain married men.
He said that the majority of Canada’s 200,000 Ukrainian Catholics are in favor of married priests and will support their Bishops on the question.
In addition to the three Canadian priests, the Eastern Congregation also suspended Rev. Zenon Chrusch for Venezuela, a married priest and a father of two children, who was ordained by Patriarch Josyf.
