Lesia Ukrainka tells us: do not close yourselves in churches, but fill society with fair principles, Head of the UGCC

The conversation about culture and Christianity with the participation of the Head of the UGCC took place within the framework of the art project "Lesia Ukrainka: 150 Names," which is currently taking place in the Ukrainian House in Kyiv (2 Khreschatyk Street).

In more than an hour of conversation, among other topics, His Beatitude Sviatoslav drew the listeners' attention to the work Neophyte. This work, he said, deserves a wider and deeper reading.

“He who looks narrowly at the work Neophyte sees a rebel against slavery. And in order to understand Lesia's message, you need to look at the whole work. If we put the image of Neophyte in dialogue with other heroes, then we will see the integrity of the work, namely - a slave who wants to use the Christian Church as a tool in restructuring the society of that time. His only goal is to build a paradise here on earth," he said.

On the other hand, His Beatitude Sviatoslav added, we see the Christian community in the catacombs. It is a symbol of eternity in time. There people sleep in anticipation of the resurrection.

"There is a category of people who have no place in society. The neophyte urges not to hide even in the catacombs. He provokes to do the right transformation of that society,” explains His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

“If Christians remove themselves from the transformation of the world, they become like yeast that has not been put into the dough. If the Church separates and abstracts herself from the real problems of people, then she becomes too spiritual,” the Head of the UGCC remarks.

The bishop added that Pope Francis is very critical of this type of human perception of problems. After all, as he explained, sometimes you need to get your hands dirty to help those who need it.

"Diakonia - service to the needy - is one of the basic elements of the Christian life. Evangelization of culture in the modern theological sense means filling the world with eternal values. Because, otherwise, we criticize the world, but we do not change it at all,” the Father and Head of the UGCC is convinced.

We remind you that on February 25, 2021, the 150th anniversary of Lesia Ukrainka's birth is celebrated in Ukraine at the state level. On this occasion, the Ukrainian House is implementing an art project "Lesia Ukrainka: 150 Names," which will last until March 8, 2021.

The UGCC Department for Information