Good Parson: scientific bulletin of Ivano-Frankivsk Academy of John Chrysostom. Theology. Philosophy. History

Chronicle of the scientific life of the Ivano-Frankivsk Academy Ivana Zolotoustoho in 2023-2024

Oleg Bilous, Ruslan Deliatynskyi, Olha (s. Andreja) Maslii — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

In the difficult circumstances of modern life, due to the conditions of martial law in Ukraine, the staff of the Ivano-Frankivsk Academy of St. John Chrysostom continued to combine scientific and educational work, practical activities and liturgical life at the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year, aimed at forming a young generation of theological specialists, primarily future priests and teachers of spiritual and moral disciplines, as well as nurturing the scientific and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian nation.

Bishop Sophron Mudryi contribution to the creation of the first Mothers in Prayer communities of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy of the UGCC

Tetiana Mazur, Oleg Kaskiv — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article examines the contribution of Bishop Sofron Mudryi to the creation of the first communities of “Mothers Prayers” of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archdiocese (IFA) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC). The key role of motherhood and spirituality in the context of religious life is revealed and attention is focused on the development and influence of the “Mothers Prayers” community of the IFA UGCC, determining its relevance in the modern world on the formation of spiritual values and moral beliefs of believers. In particular, the study of the “Mothers Prayers” community of the IFA UGCC is highlighted by emphasizing its importance in missionary and spiritual work. The scientific noveltylies in the fact that, on the basis of available primary sources and scientific literature, an attempt has been made to explore and analyze the contribution of Bishop Sophron Mudryi to the creation of the first “Mothers Prayers” communities of the Ivano-Frankivsk Archdiocese of the UGCC. The role of the mother in the context of motherhood and spirituality is also examined, taking into account the foundations of Holy Scripture, church life and participation in prayer communities, and also shows the importance of the role of motherhood for the whole world.

The work of Bishop Sofron Mudryi to intensify social service

Bohdan Rokhman, Oleg Savchuk — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

By analyzing the activities of Bishop S. Mudryi in the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the UGCC, the article reveals his contribution to the development of the ecclesial structures of this church. The article examines the bishop's civic and social initiatives, their moral, ethical, and national content, and their impact on the development of social ministry.

My experience as a military chaplain: challenges, difficulties, achievements

Vasyl Pasichnyk-Rak — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

My experience as a military chaplain has been since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine. On February 26, 2022, I called Metropolitan Volodymyr Viytyshyn and expressed that I personally wanted to do more for the army, and even become a military chaplain. This is despite the fact that I have other duties. The bishop promised that he would respond. A week later, on Thursday, March 1, I was at the diocesan administration. The bishop told me that he had a military commissar. In fact, the deputy head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional TCK and SP for work with personnel got in touch. The decree on his appointment as chaplain of the military unit A7091 and Ivano-Frankivsk city TCK and SP was issued on March 18, 2022.

Theological reflection of the perception of the person of Jesus Christ in the light of the historical development of christological models

Vasyl Tuchapets — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The person of Jesus Christ has remained a religious phenomenon for many centuries of mankind. The appearance of Jesus Christ in the history of mankind two thousand years ago and his special religious activities remain a relevant issue today. Traditionally, the relationship to the person of Jesus Christ is divided into two positions: those who believe and recognize His divine origin and those who do not believe and try to deny the Divinity of Jesus. From the point of view of fundamental theology and religious studies, the study of those two antinomian positions, in particular their debatable interrelationship, the permanence and deepening of the religious views of the believing side and the relativity and modification of the views about Jesus of the non-believing side, is an incompletely resolved scientific question. As a result, during many epochs of the development of human thought, we received two planes of Christological models: the plane of additions and deepening of faith in Jesus Christ and the plane of oppositions and denials of this faith. This study focuses precisely on this second plane: highlighting the opposing positions of faith and unbelief in Jesus Christ.

The Biblical Aspect of the Term “Immaculate” as the Basis for the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception

Pavlo Vasyliv — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

In this article, we considered the biblical basis of the Church's teaching on the Immaculate Conception. The Catholic Church proceeds from the biblical concept of «kekharitomen» (гр.), which formed the basis of the teaching about this glorious Marian dogma. In this work, the linguistic sources of this term were presented, which shed light on the actions of the Holy Spirit, Who, erring over all creation with the will of the Father through the Son, being their common personal Love, creates Mary as a new Creation. In Eph 1, 6 St. Paul speaks of our justification through the will of the Father by grace in His beloved Son Jesus Christ. The Apostle of the Nations uses the verb «kharito» (гр.), which means that the Mother of God was justified in advance thanks to the anticipatory action of the Holy Spirit with the will of the Son and the Father. God would not be omnipotent if He did not protect His Mother from the sin of the ancestors. That is why, thanks to the future Incarnation, He forbids the Most Pure One from original sin in an anticipatory way, so that through Her He may take the body and redeem the whole world on the Cross. This work should become a bridge between Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants, who should look at Christ in a new way through the prism of Mary's perfect holiness from the Conception.

The trial before Pilate (jn. 18:28–19:16a): narrative and theological aspects of John’s sondergut

Denys Rudiak, Andrii Yatsyshyn — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article presents a narrative approach to the analysis of the episode of the political process of the conviction of Jesus Christ to crucifixion by Pontius Pilate according to the version of the Gospel of John (Jn. 18:28 – 19:16a). The trial is part of own material (Sonfergut) in the Gospel of John and aims to demonstrate the kingship of Jesus, the central motif of which is the text of Jn. 19:1-3. The article analyzes the literary context of the narrative sequence and its plot development. As a result, follows the analysis of the narrative component and theological categories of Ivan's narrative.

Jesus and Therapy in the Gospel of Matthew 8:2-9:35

Nazarii Martyniuk, Andrii Yatsyshyn — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article provides a brief panoramic review of the narrative plot of the Gospel of Matthew 8:2-9:35 in the context of the therapeutic ministry of Jesus. The article analyzes both Jesus' motivation for healing and therapy, also the therapeutic methods used by Jesus. As a result, the therapeutic aspects of Mt. 8:2-9:35 are placed in a soteriological key, which is reflected by the analysis of the organic connection between Jesus' therapy and the gift of salvation. The relevance of the article is due to the growing interest in the historical search for the Jesus Christ and the current state of research – the so-called Nest Quest.

The process of transition of the UGCC to the new calendar

Mykhailo Dobrovolslyi — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Starting September 1, 2023, the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will eliminate the error of the old Julian calendar and church holidays will correspond to the astronomical calendar that our society lives by. For the past 123 years, we have been living according to a calendar that lagged behind the astronomical calendar by 13 days.

Christian education of young people is a guarantee of Ukraine's national security in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Volodymyr Voloshynovych, Iryna Fediak, Yurii Prylepskyi, Oleksandr Bulbuk — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article explores the crucial role of Christian education for the youth in the context of fortifying Ukraine's national security, particularly during the Russian-Ukrainian war. An analysis of research and publications indicates that Christian education contributes to the development of resilient individuals grounded in high moral values, possessing advanced social responsibility, and capable of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the homeland. An essential component involves instilling mercy, tolerance, and patriotism in the youth. The article's objective is to study the impact of Christian education on the youth on Ukraine's national security and to identify ways to strengthen it in wartime conditions. The article provides an example of the successful implementation of Christian education among student youth in collaboration between the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University and the clergy of the Ivano-Frankivsk Eparchy of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The experience of organizing meetings between priests and youth, as well as educators, in university and outreach settings aimed at the development and strengthening of spirituality among both students and their mentors, is discussed. The main conclusions of the article underscore the importance of Christian education for the reinforcement of Ukraine's national security.

The Ukrainian national idea as one of the fundamental components of the identity of the Ukrainian state in the context of the European community

Vitalii Derkach — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Today, in Ukraine, which, in the tragic circumstances of full-scale Russian aggression and a sharp ideological struggle, is forced not only to defend the European vector of its historical perspective but also to fight for the very existence of its own statehood and nation, the problem of the Ukrainian national idea is inevitably becoming more relevant. In the context of new foreign policy challenges, the search for ways to strengthen the national identity remains one of the important components of national security policy. In fact, the Ukrainian national idea arose and exists precisely to resist the invasive ideas of other nations and to promote the establishment of Ukrainians in the fullness of their own being as an original part of humanity. The basis for the spread of the so-called Russian world in Ukraine was the destruction and leveling of the Ukrainian national idea.

UGCC's Mission in Ecumenical Dialogue: Relations with Eastern Catholic Churches

Olha Dubitska, Liudmyla Fylypovych — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article, based on a generalization of historical facts, examines the active status of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in the system of Eastern Catholic Churches (ECC) by clarifying the specifics of their emergence and development, reveals the special role of the UGCC in ecumenical communication between the Eastern Catholic Churches, and outlines the prospects of this movement in the process of establishing and strengthening relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine and around the world. The authors propose to use the results of the study to correct the Ecumenical Concept of the UGCC, complementing the strategy of the UGCC in matters of interfaith communication with concrete steps in cooperation with the ECC.

Russian Orthodoxy used by the Soviet, Moscow-Kremlin authorities to destroy Ukrainian religion and culture

Petro Yarotskyi — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The greatest tragedy for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church occurred under the totalitarian Stalinist regime. Using the nineteenth-century proven scenarios of the tsarist autocratic Orthodox authorities' massacres of Uniates and Roman Catholics, the Soviet authorities used this historical experience to abolish the Union of Brest, sever the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's ties with the Vatican, and “reunite the Uniates” (Greek Catholics), as they said in Moscow at the time, “with their mother, the Russian Orthodox Church” (1946).

The Importance of the Religious Component in the Formation of the National Outlook during the War

Nataliia Kontsur-Karabinovych — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

This article examines the religious component as a means of ensuring Ukraine's national security. The importance of religious organizations as a factor in harmonizing the spiritual life of Ukrainians, which is an important prerequisite for the consolidation of society in overcoming the bloody enemy, has been studied.

The religious dimension of Russia's war against Ukraine: the context of national security

Olga Khmilovska — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The author highlights the current problems of the Ukrainian state in the context of Russia's large-scale war against Ukraine. The importance of studying the religious factor and its impact on Ukraine's national security is substantiated. It is shown how, with the “spiritual” support of its original assistant, the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine in the guise of the so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC-MP) has been actively proclaiming the “gathering of Russian lands” for decades. This “hostile tandem” has been building a “Russian world” on Ukrainian territory with intolerance to everything Ukrainian, pursuing a collaborationist policy in Ukraine, lobbying for Russia's interests, and becoming an important tool for influencing the minds of a large number of people. With the restoration of the independence of the Ukrainian state, Orthodoxy was supposed to become a consolidating factor in the creation of the Ukrainian nation. Instead, for decades, the UOC-MP has been constantly deconsolidating Ukrainian society, sowing church discord, and discrediting Ukraine's political and spiritual leadership in the international arena. Such activities have resulted in not only the territorial but also the spiritual occupation of our country. It is concluded that the concept of the “Russian world”, cultivated for years in Ukraine by the Kremlin through its “Orthodox” structures of the Russian Orthodox Church and the UOC-MP, was mainly the basis for the invasion of Ukrainian territories by the occupiers, which later escalated into a large-scale national liberation war in 2022. The study used data from sociological services, official documents of church institutions, and analyzed Ukrainian legislation on related issues. Certain provisions of the study can be used to further analyze the activities and spheres of influence of the Moscow Patriarchate in order to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

How the Russian-Ukrainian war changed the geopolitical picture of the world

Nika Chitadze — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

For centuries, russia was the country that was showing its power in the international political system. Firstly, the emergence of the Soviet Union and 15 countries united under one roof, and then its dissolution in 1991 made russia a more aggressive power that the international community witnessed these years. This was mainly against the post-Soviet Space, as russia till today, thinks that post-Soviet countries are and should be under the influence of russia. That's the main reason why Russia has aggressive foreign policy towards its neighboring countries, especially Georgia and Ukraine. The wars against Ukraine and Georgia show how huge a threat can be coming from the imperialist neighbor state. Here, three main years of wars are outlined: 2008, 2014, and the year of 2022, when Russia started a new military occupation against Ukraine. This aggressive foreign policy dimension is not only a threat for only post-Soviet space but to international security as well. Russia’s internal and external policy dimensions have always been a subject of international world order, as its steps always had some implications for both regional and international political systems. This research will discuss what are the main implications of military occupations conducted by russia in the 21st century.

Biographical Dictionary of the Clergy of the Stanislaviv (Ivano-Frankivsk) Diocese - Metropolitanate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (1885–2020). Part 3: Biograms for the letter "A", issue 3

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The purpose of the article is to publish fragments of a biographical dictionary - biographies of priests with the letter "A". Research methodology: biographical and prosopographical methods are outlined as the main ones in the process of implementing this project. The scientific novelty is that the publication of the second part of the series of biographies (biographical notes) of representatives of the clergy of the Stanislaviv Diocese under the letter "A" has been carried out. This publication includes the biographies of such persons as Andriishyn Mykhailo (1876–1938) and Andriishyn Yakiv (1845–1918). Conclusions: The reconstruction of the biographies of Greek Catholic priests (on the letter "A"), based on a significant source base, proves their active activity not only in the church and religious, but also in the political, public, economic and cultural spheres of the life of the Ukrainian people.

Historical Development of the Rozhnyativ Deanery of the Lviv Archdiocese of the Greek Catholic Church (1907-1946)

Olha (s. Andreja) Maslii, Oksana Maksymiv — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The article examines the historical development of the Rozhnyativ deanery of the Lviv Archdiocese of the Greek Catholic Church. The structure and activities of the parish network during 1907-1946 are highlighted. The key role of the Church in the development of parish communities is revealed.

Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Greek Catholic Eparchy in 1939-1946

Ruslan Deliatynskyi, Vitalii Popyk — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The purpose of the article is an objective study of the historical development of the Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Diocese of the Galician Metropolis of the Greek Catholic Church during the Second World War of 1939-1945 and the establishment of Soviet power in Galicia in 1945-1946, which led to the forced liquidation of the UGCC and its transformation into a “catacomb” church. Research methodology: the basic methods are microhistorical, biographical and prosopographic. The scientific novelty is that for the first time the peculiarities of the historical development of the Chortkiv Deanery of the Stanislaviv Eparchy of the UGCC during the Second World War and the “second Sovietization” of Galicia (1939-1946) are analyzed. Conclusions: The authors show the specifics of church-state relations, the mutual influence of political and ecclesiastical administrative-territorial divisions in the process of liquidation of the UGCC, and the role of individual priests in the events of this time.

Political and Legal Dimension of the Prospects for Ukraine's Invitation to NATO

Ihor Todorov — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The purpose of the research is to reveal the possibilities of inviting Ukraine to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the context of the escalation of Russian aggression. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, systematicity, scientificity, verification, authorial objectivity, moderate narrative constructivism, as well as the use of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalization) and special-historical (historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-systemic ) methods. The scientific novelty is that for the first time in historiography, the current prospects of Ukraine's invitation to NATO have been considered. Conclusions. Accession to NATO is a constitutionally enshrined main priority of Ukraine, a fundamental condition for its survival. Today, the political elite of Ukraine and Western governments are unanimous on the issue of Ukraine's membership in NATO. The Russian-Ukrainian war acts as an arena in which the political and military strategies of the global West are formed and break into the intentions of those world forces that promote anti-democratic values and, using Western technologies, intend to play a leading role in world civilization. The further development of the world system depends on Ukraine for a long period, and possibly for centuries to come. The need to invite Ukraine to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is due to the possibility of overcoming the global crisis of international security. In favor of the rapid Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine, the uniqueness of the military experience in the large-scale modern war against powerful Russia, the removal of the financial burden from the NATO members, the demonstration of the unity of the Alliance and the ability to respond to modern challenges testify. Ukraine demonstrates commitment to high spiritual values, such as freedom, independence, dignity and self-respect, on which the Alliance is built. Thanks to its armed forces and active civil society, it deserves NATO membership.

Problems of Implementation of Approaches to Identification of the Victims of Military Aggression on the Territory of Ukraine and Ways to Solve Them

Valeriia Chadiuk, Nataliia Kozan, Yuliia Kotsiubynska — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

The war in Ukraine has triggered a number of socially negative phenomena, including high mortality rates and a massive influx of mutilated, depersonalized victims of armed conflicts who need to be identified. Despite all the measures taken by the authorities, there are still a large number of unidentified corpses in Ukraine. At the same time, the course toward European integration requires addressing a number of issues related to ensuring the basic principles of international humanitarian law, according to which the body of every deceased person has the right to be identified and handed over to relatives for burial.

Problems and prospects of realizing gender equality in the security and defense sector of Ukraine

Olena Chaltseva, Kateryna Melnyk — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

Since 2014, Ukraine has been actively defending its borders and sovereignty from the armed aggression of the Russian Federation. Since February 24, 2022, with the outbreak of a new wave of war, Ukraine has faced many new security and defense challenges related to the protection of national interests and freedom, as well as the rights of servicemen, military organization, command and control. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 60,000 women have been serving in Ukraine, 42,000 of them are military personnel. Therefore, raising issues such as equal rights and opportunities for women and men in the military is extremely relevant today. Deep-rooted stereotypes and prejudices about gender roles in society are one of the reasons for this inequality, which is not only a problem in Ukraine but also a global one.

Military occupations conducted by Russia in the 21st century and their implications: the cases of Georgia and Ukraine

Nika Chitadze — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0300

For centuries, Russia has been a country that has demonstrated its strength in the international political system. First, the emergence of the Soviet Union and 15 countries united under one roof, and then its collapse in 1991, made Russia a more aggressive state, as the international community witnessed during these years. This was mainly directed against the post-Soviet space, as Russia still believes that post-Soviet countries are and should be under Russian influence. This is the main reason why Russia has an aggressive foreign policy towards its neighbors, especially Georgia and Ukraine. The wars against Ukraine and Georgia show how great the threat from an imperialist neighboring state can be. The three main years of the wars are outlined here: 2008, 2014, and 2022, when Russia began a new military occupation of Ukraine. This aggressive foreign policy dimension poses a threat not only to the post-Soviet space, but also to international security. Russia's domestic and foreign policy has always been a subject of the international world order, as its steps have always had certain consequences for both the regional and international political system. In this study, we will look at the main consequences of the military occupations carried out by Russia in the 21st century.