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

  • Mieczysław Ryba The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Faculty of Humanities
Keywords: Ukrainian nationalism, Andrei Sheptytsky, Hryhoryi Khomyshyn

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.

References

Kulińska L., Działalność terrorystyczna i sabotażowa nacjonalistycznych organizacji ukraińskich w Polsce w latach 1922-1939 [‘Terrorism and sabotage of Ukrainian nationalist organizations in Poland in the period of 1922-1939’], Kraków 2009.

Kulińska L., Terroryzm w II RP – Ukraińska Wojskowa Organizacja i Organizacja Ukraińskich Nacjonalistów [‘Terrorism in the 2nd Polish Republic. The Ukrainian Military Organization and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists’], “Bezpieczeństwo. Teoria i praktyka” [‘Security. Theory and Practice’], 2(2016).

Partacz C., Od Badeniego do Potockiego. Stosunki polsko-ukraińskie w Galicji w latach 1888-1908 [‘From Badeni to Potocki. Polish-Ukrainian relations in Galicia in the period of 1888-1908’], Toruń 1996.

Pobóg-Malinowski W., Najnowsza historia polityczna Polski. 1864-1945 [‘The latest political history of Poland. 1864-1945’], vol. 2, part 1, London 1956.

Poliszczuk W., Doktryna Dmytro Doncowa. Tekst. Analiza [‘The doctrine of Dmytro Dontsov. The text and analysis’], Toronto 2006.

Prus E., Patriarcha galicyjski. Rzecz o arcybiskupie Andrzeju Szeptyckim, metropolicie grekokatolickim (1865-1944) [‘Galician patriarch. The story of the Greek Catholic archbishop Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky (1865-1944)’], Wrocław 1999.

Stryjek T., Ukraińska idea narodowa okresu międzywojennego [‘Ukrainian national concept in the interwar period’], Toruń 2013.

Wysocki R., Organizacja Ukraińskich Nacjonalistów w Polsce w latach 1929-1939, Lublin 2003.

Published
2020-01-09
Section
Articles