The example of Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky

Each year, I am pleased to write something in honor of the late Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky, who passed away on November 1, 1944, under communist rule in Ukraine.

Eighty years have passed, and his legacy continues to provoke questions regarding the Church, Judaism, Israel, and the Jewish authorities who are responsible for recognizing those who acted with exceptional insight during World War II. Currently, the Ukrainian Churches are divided into several contradictory positions and directions. The borders of Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and the territories once under Habsburg control during the lifetime of Metropolitan Sheptytsky have shifted, leading to ongoing debates, harsh conflicts and war in the territories allocated to each nation or so-called state.

Kyr Andrii Sheptytsky was not a Ukrainian nationalist. He lived during a time when the East and West were rediscovering their ancient Christian traditions. He understood the deep connections that needed to be restored in his episcopal territory of Ukraine and Transcarpathia, which included parts of present-day Hungary, Romania, and Poland. His “serving authority” extended to North and South America, Africa, and Australia due to the first large waves of emigration. Many Ukrainians had to seek work abroad and often returned home or settled in the diaspora.

Russia was also part of his canonical territory before and during the Bolshevik Revolution. Drastic changes occurred after World War II, when clergy and laypeople faced severe persecution and extermination. The collapse of communist power thirty-three years ago created a new reality. Each jurisdiction felt liberated or “released” in the Slavic region. The Greek Catholics and the Orthodox Churches began to assess their influence and redeployment. Currently, they are struggling to resolve their disagreements, a situation that is evident and will take a long time to before it will be settled. It also depends on the current war, aggression of the Federation of Russia on the internationally recognized Republic of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Church has often been tempted throughout history. Ukraine lacks stable borders. The nation and state can be compared to a “kordon/Кордон” (rope, frontier) that has changed significantly due to historical turbulence.

The language of Ukraine is very close to Church Slavonic. It does not possess the prestige of Russian or Polish and is often dismissed or viewed as a sign of strict nationalism. When I pray in Ukrainian alongside Hebrew and Yiddish in Jerusalem, Israel and abroad, many faithful do not understand why. They overlook the fact that we are in a unique situation in the State of Israel: Jews and Ukrainians have come together and built the country by working peacefully and legally, which was not the case in Ukraine throughout the times of the Tsars, the Yiddish culture, the civil war and Revolution, the communist regime, and the Nazi occupation in some Western regions.

From 1958 to the present, Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky has been viewed through various perspectives by Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Germans, Hungarians, Romanians, Jews, and Gypsies, as well as both Eastern and Latin clergy and their respective congregations.

Kurt Lewin, the son of the late Rabbi of L’viv/Lemberg who was murdered after leaving the Archbishop Major’s residence, struggled to explain to the Ukrainian clergy he met in Innsbruck and Canada the real situation in Ukraine and the remarkable courage shown by Metropolitan Andrii during the terrible period of the Nazi occupation. Many were more connected to the fallen Nazi Reich and were less interested in the Patriarch of L’viv saving lives—both Jewish and non-Jewish—for the sake of Christian and human rights.

Recent developments in Church relations and challenges in resolving the numerous Church entities and diverse “Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Rite” bodies may lead to a review of history as it appeared in the 20th century during Ukraine’s brief independence after World War I.

One element that could provide a broad perspective on the current situation can be found in the English version translated by Fr. Serge Keleher (+2011) of the book written in French by Fr. Cyrille Korolevsky, a close friend and collaborator of Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky, Metropolitan of L’viv. The procurator responsible for gathering all the documents remained Mgr. Michael Hrynchyshyn, a Canadian-born Ukrainian bishop from Saskatchewan, who was called to work on this exceptional hierarchy in 1958 when the process of canonization began. Kyr Michael Hrynchyshyn has since retired from his office in Western Europe and he died. He was dedicated to advocating for the recognition of Metropolitan Andrii both by the Church and the Jewish authorities.

I have authored many articles and notes about Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky, who was born on July 29, 1865, in Prybylchi (Poland-Ukraine) and died on November 1, 1944, in L’viv. It has often been noted by late Prof. Gutman (former head of Yad Vashem) that this man of faith transcended all standards and norms. He faced constant aggression from various sides yet acted with wisdom and insight for the benefit of the Greek Catholic Church of Ukraine, both in the homeland and abroad.

He allowed Metropolitan Evlogyi and Archbishop Vladimir, appointed by the late St. Patriarch Tikhon of Moscow, to reach France and develop the Eastern Orthodox Russian presence in the West, exactly a hundred years ago in 2025.

He was undoubtedly an exceptional personality, especially in how he fostered understanding of Jewish identity and culture. In 1916, he organized a significant pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He spoke Hebrew fluently. In his diocese, he interacted with Jewish communities in Yiddish and Hebrew. It is known that he vehemently protested against the deportation and extermination of Jews by Hitler and Himmler by sending them telegrams. His famous pastoral letter “Nie Ubyi/Не убий – Thou shalt not kill,” (21 November 1942) sent to all parishes and priests under his spiritual care, remains a unique act of courage for any member of the Christian clergy and hierarchy. Kurt Lewin (“A Journey Through Illusion,” translated into Ukrainian) described how Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky directly saved numerous Jews and children by hiding and protecting them.

During the final fifteen years of his life, Metropolitan Andrii was paralyzed and spent most of his time in a wheelchair. Nevertheless, he managed to oversee the Ukrainian Church amid incredible turmoil, assisted by his brother, Fr. Klement (a Righteous among the Nations – Yad VaShem), and a vast network of connections that helped keep him isolated during the Communist regime and the Second World War.

The Poles accused him of abandoning the Roman Rite and restoring the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. He corresponded with many contemporary thinkers (such as Metropolitan Evlogyi and Vladimir Soloviev who described the importance of Jewishness for Christendom). He played a significant role in creating spaces for dialogue between the Eastern and Western Churches, paving the way for renewed discussions, including at the Monastery at Chevetogne. Things are going through a long-term period of distance, absence of dialogue among ecclesial structures that are embattled with secular wars and religious question of identity.

He was often viewed as “overall suspect”: twice, he had to navigate the invasion of the German army that took control of Western Ukraine, then combat the Nazis. He faced the civil war in Ukraine, the Bolshevik Revolution, and the rise of communism on two separate occasions. Stalin uniquely refrained from targeting the Greek Catholic when he passed away, waiting until the 40th day of mourning was over to seize and deport the clergy.

He was accused of treason and collaboration with the French and/or Germans (World War I), the Nazis (World War II), and the communists (in between and until his death). Interestingly, the archives that best reflect his true actions were found in the Soviet KGB offices.

I frequently reference his “trudy/труди – works” and read his sermons or pastoral letters in Ukrainian in my church and on various occasions. It is clear: Metropolitan Andrii Sheptytsky’s attitudes and personality extend far beyond the Ukrainian Church.

It would be a grave mistake, which unfortunately often occurs, to depict Metropolitan Andrii’s dedication and venerate him as a Ukrainian nationalist. On the contrary, he was acutely aware—through the words, style, and ideas of his time—that the Church that developed from Kyiv and expanded throughout Ukraine and the surrounding Slavic areas has a specific universal role to play in the symphony of the Body of the Resurrected Lord.

This is not how people perceive his path today. It is still viewed with suspicion because his personality transcends the standards of the clergy hierarchy, particularly in a troubled region like Ukraine and its surrounding countries and cultures. He demonstrated an exceptional character not often found among Christian clergy during times of catastrophe. While conflicts are easier to mention, unity was something he sought to achieve amid incredible hardships.

In Israel, Metropolitan Andrii’s actions and thoughts should serve as a model for reflection on the situation within Israeli society. The social, intercultural, ethnic, spiritual, and political issues present intriguing parallels with our efforts to build a new and unexpected human reality. Our society encompasses Jews, Arabs, and many diversified ethnic and religious groups, often against their will or acceptance.

In many respects, Metropolitan Sheptytsky addressed matters closely related to our contemporary “pangs of birth.” He responded to hatred with love and strongly advocated for ethics and moral dynamics rooted in faith.

Understanding a character like Metropolitan Sheptytsky, who confronted a lot of paradoxes and complex events that continue to shape the world today, will require considerable time and reflection. He spoke with the voice of his generation and remains profoundly relevant in the present. We often believe ourselves to be open-minded and “universal,” yet we can become fearful, leading us to frame, fence, and isolate ourselves in our quest for identity, revenge, or ignorance. Metropolitan Sheptytsky never imposed foreign or alien beliefs; he respected the dignity of all souls and protected many – particularly the Jews – during a time of deep idolatry and apostasy.

His writings and social activities should be viewed as a valuable asset to Israel, representing the diverse, multifaceted aspects of humanity that emerged from Ukraine, particularly survivors of the “Holodomor” (mass murder through hunger in Ukraine from 1932 to 1935). The Supreme Soviet intentionally perpetrated famine against all nations in Ukraine, targeting local Ukrainians of all regions, Jews, Czechs, Gypsies, and many others.

At this moment, we are all grappling with the shadowy forces that have divided our unity as human beings. This is not a time for opacity or blindness, search for keeping the morals and the Commandments/Mitzvot.

Eighty years ago, a man crossed the boundary between the earthly realm and the spiritual world, silently bearing witness to the hope of his faith. There are borders and lines that continually seem to delay our full understanding of extraordinary souls in exceptional circumstances. This is a real question regarding Andrei Sheptytsky. Yet, his legacy guides us  on a journey that will ultimately help transcend the illusions that continue to harm and hurt our generation.

Contradiction can often lead to a positive struggle for life.