Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s stance vis-à-vis terrorist activities of Ukrainian nationalists in the early 1930s

Abstract

The article discusses the reaction of the Greek Catholic Church to terrorist attacks in the Polish lands by Ukrainian nationalists in the 1930s. Greek Catholic bishops (Andrei Sheptytsky, Josaphat Kotsylovsky, Hryhoryi Khomyshyn) supported the creation of the Ukrainian state in 1918. After the defeat of Ukrainians in the war with Poland in 1919, the nationalist movement was born in the Eastern Lesser Poland. The movement departed significantly in its ideology from the Christian values. The peak of the nationalism was the turn of the 1920s and the 1930s. On the one hand, there was a surge in terrorist attacks by the Ukrainian Military Organization and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. On the other hand, the chauvinist ideology of Dmytro Dontsov was becoming increasingly influential. All this led to unrest among Ukrainian bishops. The attacks were severely criticized by Bishop Hryhoryi Khomyshyn, who condemned the pagan nationalism in all of its forms. The reaction of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky was more toned down, which sparked tensions between the two clergymen.