In Kyiv, with the participation of the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, a documentary “His Beatitude” about the Confessor of the faith Patriarch Josyf Slipyj was presented.
“His Beatitude” is the continuation of the first film “The Case of the Reefs,” which came out in 2017, before the 125th anniversary of the birth of Josyph Slipy. The first film covers the period from 1939 to 1963 and reveals the circumstances surrounding the arrest, imprisonment and release of Josyph Slipyi, which are unknown to the general public. The second tape is built entirely on interviews with people who personally knew Patriarch Josyph. It tells about the life of the Patriarch after his exile in Rome from 1963 until his death.
Working on the films, the film makers traveled to nine countries around the world, in particular, to Argentina, USA, Canada, as well as European countries.
According to the director of the film Olena Moshynska, the crew had been working on the theme of the life and ministry of Patriarch Josyph for more than four years.
The presentation was also attended by: the First Lady of Ukraine Maryna Poroshenko, the third Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko with his wife Kateryna, culture minister Yevgeniy Nyschuk, writer Oksana Zabuzhko, religious scholar Igor Kozlovsky and many other public, cultural and political figures.
“Often the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is shy to speak about itself with all the power and courage of Patriarch Josyph,” said the Head of the UGCC after watching the film. – “And he is today our voice. We hear how this voice of truth, the voice of the witness of Christ, goes through iron curtains, contemporary church divisions, even contemporary diplomatic expediencies in order to speak the truth on behalf of this once again bleeding nation…”
The Primate expressed words of gratitude that today with the help of cinema we can hear Patriarch Josyph.
“We are coming out with great hope. The Patriarch said: “It can not last long.” Each historical wave has its own portion of disaster,” said the Head of the Church.
We can often fall into despair, said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, but the voice of Patriarch Josyph tells us: your trouble can not last long.
This year the UGCC will solemnly celebrate the 50th anniversary of the consecration of St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Rome. “We heard the phrase of Patriarch Josyph,” said the Primate, “if you think about tomorrow, you are too late, you have to think about 50 years in advance. And today we exist as a Church, as a nation, as a state, precisely because 50 years ago our Patriarch Josyph lived, suffered, died and resurrected for us.”
The Head of the UGCC expressed his gratitude to all those who “gave us the opportunity to hear this voice, this light of hope and to learn today to think about Ukraine, the Ukrainian people, the Ukrainian Church 50 years in advance.” “This Church is patriarchal, it has always been and will be the promoter of unity of both the Church and the nation. This martyr Church has much to say in a loud voice urbi et orbi – to the city, Ukraine and the world,” added the spiritual leader of Ukrainians.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also thanked everyone who worked on the film.
The UGCC Department for Information