After the fall of the Soviet Union, the independent Ukrainian country underwent tremendous stress when it shifted from a centrally planned economy to a free market system. Those changes, led by the post-communist oligarchy, caused an increasing number of impoverished and homeless people in Ukraine. The crime rate and the prison population grew until 2001. Changes in penal policy of the Ukrainian government started after the pontifical visit of Pope John Paul II to Ukraine.
In 2010-2011 the number of remand prisoners increased sharply. Beginning in July 2012, the prison population fell from 154,000 to 79,750 in December 2014. The Donbass has 20% of all prisons functioning in Ukraine. Donetsk and Lugansk regions have 20 and 16 prison facilities respectively. Twice more than any other region in Ukraine.[1] Convicts were released without any government programs for rehabilitation, destabilizing these regions. Government of Ukraine lost control under
four Crimean prisons in March 2014 when Russia occupied and annexed Crimea. The
functioning of 29 prisons in militant-controlled areas of Donbass deteriorated
after the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. During the 2014-15 Russian military intervention in Ukraine, hundreds of dangerous convicted criminals from prisons in Donbass were armed by the pro-Russian militants.[2][3] Other prisoners have been used as slave labourers. Lack of food and
drinking water affected 16,200 inmates.
Penitentiary pastoral ministry of the UGCC is a Catholic Prison Ministry in Ukraine founded on international principles of religious assistance in prisons praised during the XII UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.[8];On February 11, 2015 Parliament of Ukraine has adopted as a basis the Draft Law #1154 "On Amendments to Several Legislative Acts of Ukraine (regarding activity of chaplains in the bodies and institutions belonging to the jurisdiction of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine).[9]
Prison pastoral care was at the very heart of the spirituality of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church throughout her history. Prison Pastoral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, though it is still very young, is taking successive steps to integrity. It was restored in 1990 after the Church, formerly forbidden, emerged from the underground. Pastoral care has grown steadily from several establishments in the Western Part of Ukraine to more than 40 penal institutions in every region of the country. Since 2001 the UGCC is the co-founder of the Ukrainian Interdenominational Christian Mission "Spiritual and Charitable Care in Prisons" including twelve churches and denominations. This Mission is a part of the World Association of Prison Ministry.
Prison pastoral care was at the very heart of the spirituality of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church throughout her history. Prison Pastoral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, though it is still very young, is taking successive steps to integrity. It was restored in 1990 after the Church, formerly forbidden, emerged from the underground. Pastoral care has grown steadily from several establishments in the Western Part of Ukraine to more than 40 penal institutions in every region of the country. Since 2001 the UGCC is the co-founder of the Ukrainian Interdenominational Christian Mission "Spiritual and Charitable Care in Prisons" including twelve churches and denominations. This Mission is a part of the World Association of Prison Ministry.
Department of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in the Armed Forces and in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine is provisory structure till both chaplaincies will be quite ripe to form more solid establishments. Prison Pastoral Care is appealed to facilitate transition from the punitive system neglecting human dignity to correctional system cherishing penitentiary idea. Our mission is to serve the inmates in the national penitentiaries with Christian charity and reconciliation through extensive ministry to the spiritual and physical needs of prisoners of any creed, sex, age, religious faith, or nationality. The priority directions of the ministry are sermon, catechetics, administration of the sacraments for inmates, assistance and support of communication with family, spiritual support of the prison stuff, engagement of lay people in ministry.
The UGCC Prison Ministry has many directions of development and compatibility with other missions of the Church. It is currently carrying out on the base of «The Agreement for cooperation of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church with State Penal Department of Ukraine» which offers many possibilities. Today pastoral ministry is regularly carried out in penitentiary facilities № 3, 13, 14, 27, 30, 34, 40, 41, 44, 47, 48, 50, 55, 57, 63, 85, 110, 112, 118, 128, 135 in seven investigatory isolators and in two juvenile prisons of Ukraine. In 6 prisons our pastors are able to attend only irregularly.
The UGCC became an active member of The International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC) at the XII-th World Congress, held in Rome in September 2007. The ICCPPC is a worldwide Association of country delegates for Catholic Prison Pastoral Care, composed of clerical and lay persons. At this Congress the Church expressed concern about imprisoned held in inhumane conditions, especially minors, women, old and mentally ill persons and those people who only came on trial and their guilt was not proven. With the prayers of the Holy Father this Congress indeed gave to its participants the chance “to share the experience of contemplating the mysterious expression of the face of Christ which shines through the face of the imprisoned." Pope Benedict XVI encouraged prison chaplains in their ministry to "show this face to the world."
For the first time in the history of Ukraine, a training program for prison chaplains of the UGCC called “Pastoral care at the penitentiary institutions of Ukraine" was held at the Professional College of the State Penal Department in Bila Tserkva town in November, 2007. On February - May, 2008 this common educational program was spread out for other Christian denominations. Since 2008 chaplains of the UGCC are in closer cooperation with catholic chaplains in Poland sharing experiences. On February, 2008 the UGCC presentated the Ukrainian publication of Compendium of the Catholic social teaching for the State Penal Department of Ukraine.
The UGCC invites the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine for an annual pilgrimage to the Saint Dormition Monastery of Univ (Lviv region). This pilgrimage for the workers of the prison system of Ukraine, named “Justice, Faith and Mercy!”, is dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (or Triumph of the Cross) on September, 26-27.
The Ukrainian translation of the book "Human Rights of Prisoners" was issued on July, 2008. The English version of the book was published in 2006 in Rome under the aegis of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care(ICCPPC). The translation of "Human Rights of Prisoners" into Ukrainian was published on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, accepted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the UN.
The Ukrainian translation of the book "Human Rights of Prisoners" was issued on July, 2008. The English version of the book was published in 2006 in Rome under the aegis of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care(ICCPPC). The translation of "Human Rights of Prisoners" into Ukrainian was published on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, accepted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the UN.
"Criminality is a reality which we couldn't avoid, but it is not always clear for us what to do with it, and how. How should we behave with criminals, how do criminals themselves have to examine the status of their soul?", - so wrote Patriarch Lubomyr in the introduction, - "Are we able to understand properly the situation of a man in jail and after release?"
Rev. Deacon Peter Echtermeyer, former Chief Representative of the ICCPPC-Europe, had done a lot for inspiration of Prison Pastoral. He traveled to Ukraine four times, showing brotherly support for this important ministry of the Church. During those visits deacon Peter met prisoners, state officials, chaplains, local bishops, His Beatitude Lubomyr Huzar and Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine. The International conference “Area Juridica of Prison Ministry” took place in Kyiv on June 6, 2009, by the initiative of the ICCPPC-Europe. The Conference was organized in cooperation of the UGCC and the State Penal Department of Ukraine. Participants examined the status of legislation in European countries for the safeguarding of human dignity in prisons. The Conference analyzed status of criminal justice in Central and Eastern Europe, human rights of prisoners and convicts. Members of the working group of the ICCPPC-Europe invited for the Conference representatives of Churches ministering in prisons of Ukraine. Vice-president of PFI Soren Johnson and head chaplain of Russia Rev. Alexander Dobrodiejev participated in this event.
In December 2009 the Commission of Kiev Archdiocese for penitentiary pastoral care was founded by decision of His Beatitude Lubomir Husar.
Issues of the ministry in prison were the subject of three sessions of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2010. There were appointed new chaplains in the dioceses. The number of volunteers increased. In summer of 2010 the registration of the 1-st Rehabilitation Center for women ex-prisoners started in Chernigiv suburb. The importance and value of pastoral care in penitentiary system is undisputable. Even if prison chaplaincy does not exist in Ukraine de jure, ministry of the Church in prison establishments of Ukraine became more possible de facto than we practically offer now! The number of well trained lay volunteers is not enough. Not all assigned pastors really respond to vocation for regular ministry in prison.
Understanding and sensitivity of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC concerning prison pastoral ministry is growing. But mission of the Church in prison has new challenges and demands. We need to form a well coordinated framework. The Institution of Prison Chaplaincy in Prison System of Ukraine would be approved by legislation in few years.
The Board of the ICCPPC-Europe has gathered on January 2012 in Lviv (Western Ukraine) to analyze the development of the international cooperation in the region. Conference was headed by Rev. Msgr. Pawel Wojtas (Poland), vice-president of the ICCPPC and Fr. Marc Helfer (France), chief representative of the ICCPPC-Europe.
In December 12, 2012 the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav and Alexander Lisitskov, Chairman of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine (SPSU), Lieutenant-General of internal service have signed an Agreement on cooperation. The Agreement is a reflection of cooperation according to the previous document signed by His Beatitude Lubomir Huzar in the year 2007. The text of the Agreement summarizes not only the structural changes that have occurred over the past 5 years, but also laid emphasis on pastoral care about staff SPSU and families of staff, students of educational institutions SPSU, prisoners and persons detained.
In July - August 2013 representative of the UGCC took an active part in interdenominational group for the development of proposals for the Draft Law on Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of Ukraine (concerning the regulation of the activities of chaplains in the organs and institutions belonging to the jurisdiction of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine) № 3233.
On July 20, 2014 before a crowd of 200,000 faithful at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Zarvanytsia in Ukraine, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk solemnly proclaimed Blessed Bishop and Martyr Vasyl Velychkovsky as patron of prison ministry for Clergy, Religious and Faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The blessed hieromartyr and years-long prisoner of the Soviet GULAG and the locum tenens of the underground Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine was elected not by chance: he got to the NKVD confines, and during his stay in inhuman conditions in the death ward the saint showed by his own example how to preserve human dignity and teach it other people.
We can see now rapid development and maturation of prison pastoral mission of the Ukrainian Catholic Church through engagement of its lay and pastoral resources. Planning and coordination of the ministry facilitates the improvement of evangelization behind bars. Pastoral care is embracing not just offenders but prison personnel as well. It gives more chances for the establishment of a prison chaplaincy institution in Ukraine that meets European prison standards. It means reform and development of the criminal justice and prison system in Ukraine towards regard of the human rights of inmates. But mission of the Church in prison has new challenges and demands.The Institution of Prison Chaplaincy in Prison System of Ukraine would be approved by legislation in few years. Church in Ukraine is giving a worthy reply to the spiritual hunger of prisoners and this serves for restoration the moral health of society.
CONTACTS:
Most Rev. Michael Koltun,
Bishop of Sokal and Zhovkva, Head of The Department of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in Power Structures of Ukraine (in Military Forces and in Penitentiary System)
Bishop of Sokal and Zhovkva, Head of The Department of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in Power Structures of Ukraine (in Military Forces and in Penitentiary System)
P.O.Box B-125
Kyiv, 01001, Ukraine
fax: +38044 278-61-84
e-mail: sokaleparchy@zhovkva.lviv.ua
Fr. Constantin Panteley, Head of The Office for Pastoral Care in Penitentiary System of Ukraine
P.O.Box B-125
Kyiv, 01001, Ukraine
fax: +38044 279-19-20
mob.ph. +38098 422-9-221
e-mail: panteley@ukr.net
skype: constantin.panteley
Pavlo Zagorodnov
Assistant of The Office for Pastoral Care in Penitentiary System of Ukraine
P.O.Box B-125
Kyiv, 01001, Ukraine
fax: +38044 279-19-20
mob.ph. +38097 397-29-40
e-mail: zagorodnov.p@gmail.com
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