The Ukrainian Church in the context of contemporary military challenges (based on the materials of the ukrainian-speaking periodicals of the USA diaspora)

Анотація

The article is devoted to the dominant role of religion in a person’s national self-identification. The issue of the Ukrainian church is very important, especially in the context of the wartime challenges. That is why the purpose of our research is to consider the above-mentioned topical problems through the prism of Ukrainian-language periodicals of the US diaspora as an organic part of Ukrainianness.

At the time of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine, religious communities and church representatives, both in Ukraine and in the diaspora, not only unitedly engage in volunteer activities, but also present the unity of world Ukrainians in confronting the enemy on all fronts. Ukrainian-language periodicals of the Ukrainian diaspora in the USA pay a lot of attention to these issues, as they see this as one of the important factors in the identification of Ukrainians as part of their nation.

Analytics, interviews, informative posts published in the newspapers «Mist», «Chas i Podii» («Time and events»), «NOVAhazeta» («New Newspaper»), and «Svoboda» («Freedom») highlight the volunteer activities of church communities in the USA and Ukraine, the pastoral care of the clergy of the UGCC, UOC, UOC USA, support Ukrainian refugees. Emphasis is placed on the transition of Orthodox parishes to the OCU, the loss of the Russian Orthodox Church and foreign parishes, the problem of the presence of the Russian Church in Ukraine.

Despite all attempts to marginalize the religious presence and silence the religious topic as an alleged factor of division in the Ukrainian society, the importance of religion in Ukraine is growing stronger, as well as in the world in general. Although many Ukrainians do not go to church that often, they are still a part of the society whose national consciousness, customs and spiritual values are shaped by the Christian faith. The activity of Ukrainian church communities, highlighted in the Ukrainian-language periodical of the US diaspora, once again confirms this.

We remember that in order to build a strong state, we need our own church. It is not only about the unity of the Ukrainian Orthodox church, but also about the spiritual health of the nation, promotion of our culture and traditions.

Such church must be united in its teachings, spreading the same values, which will be the basis for the development of the civil society and a powerful state.