18. Ecumenism Belarusian Style

The year 1969 saw Bishop Sipovich back in London, where twenty two years earlier as a young priest he had started his pastoral work. Now that he was no longer  Superior Genaral of the Marian Fathers, he could dedicate himself fully to his duties as Apostolic Visitor for Belarusians. Marian House was the obvious choice for his place of permanent residence.

Marian House, together with St Cyril's and St Peter's Houses, formed a unique Belarusian religious complex. Officially it was the Belarusian Catholic Mission of the Byzantine rite in England, but because of its activities, such as a boarding house for boys, the journal Bozhym shliakham etc., it became known among the Belarusian community throughout the world. Alongside the pastoral duties which had been and always remained their chief concern, some priests of the Mission were engaged in scholarly work and in the cultural activities of the Belarusian community. The Association of Belarusians in Great Britain and the Anglo-Belarusian Society used regularily the conference room at St Peter's House for their meetings and lectures. Sometimes major events took place, such as the literary evening in 1972 to mark 90 years from the birth of Belarusian greatest poets, Ianka Kupala and Iakub Kolas, with poetry reading in Belarusian and in Vera Rich's English translation; a conference on 1976 on the Mediaeval culture in Eastern Europe on 6 March 1976; or launch on 21 May 1977 of Professor Arnold McMillin's A History of Byelorussian Literature, the first work on the subject in the English language.From the very beginning the Francis Skaryna Library attracted scholars in the field of East European history and Slavic culture from all over the world. And of course there were hundreds of Belarusian visitors from all over the world, among them writers and poets, scholars, literary critics and artists.

Bishop Sipovich and the priests of the Mission, being Belarusians, were genuinely interested in the preservation and development of Belarusian culture. But their involvement in the Belarusian cultural activities also had a pastoral aspect. The majority of Belarusians were Orthodox, and many of them viewed the Belarusian Greek Catholics with suspicion. This was due to a century-long propaganda campaign by the Russians who, after suppressing by force in 1839 the Greek Catholic Church in Belarus, did their best to convince the Orthodox Belarusians that this Church was an intrigue, devised by the Poles and the Vatican in order to "enslave" them. The effects of this propaganda have survived many political changes and can be felt even today among certain groups of Orthodox Belarusians, whom one cannot accuse of pro-Russian sympathies. In these circumstances the presence of the Greek Catholics in the Belarusian national and cultural life assumes particular significance.

Bishop Sipovich and the other Greek Catholic priests in London did much to overcome the old prejudices and to establish relations with Orthodox Belarusians based on mutual respect and understanding. In fact some of their best friends were Orthodox. An interesting example was Victor Astrouski, son of the President of the Belarusian Central Rada (Council), Radaslau Astrouski. He was a keen collector of old maps and author of a book entitled "The Ancient Names and Early Cartography of Byelorussia" (London 1971). At the same time he published a number of scurrilous pamphlets against Catholics and the Belarusian Catholic Mission in London. Persuaded by a friend to go and see the collection of old maps at the Francis Skaryna Library, he came very much on his guard and full of suspicions... and went away a friend. Victor died on 31 August 1975. In his will he left all his books and maps to the Francis Skaryna Library. During his funeral service the Orthodox priest asked Bishop Sipovich to read the lesson.

On 29 August 1971 Archbishop Andrew Kryt of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church came from the United States on a canonical visit to the Belarusian Orthodox communities in England. He first went to Bradford where he ordained as a priest Fr John Piakarski (who later became one of the trustees of the Francis Skaryna Library), then visited Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. On 25 September the Archbishop arrived in London and in the evening paid a visit to Marian House. He and Bishop Sipovich had known each other since the time when they were both priests working in England, one in Bradford and the other in London. The visit started in the chapel, where Archbishop Andrew at the altar, with the Royal Door open, blessed all present – priests, boys of St Cyril's House, and a few members of the London Belarusian Community, – and was greeted by Bishop Sipovich. Then all went to supper, at which Bishop Sipovich greeted again Archbishop Andrew and congratulated the newly ordained Father Piakarski. On the following day, a Sunday, Archbishop Andrew celebrated Pontifical Liturgy in a church near the Belarusian House at Islington. The boys from St Cyril's House, under the direction of Guy Picarda sang during the Liturgy. During the days that followed until the end of his stay in London, Archbishop Andrew was a regular visitor at the Francis Skaryna Library and partook of meals together with the priests and boys at St Cyril's House. Bishop Sipovich's comment at the end of the visit was: "Thanks be to God! It is better to pray together than to quarrel".

A report, signed "Observer", describing Archbishop Andrew's visit to England appeared in the November issue of the newspaper Belarus in New York[45]. It was a lengthy and detailed report, in which however one detail was missing, namely the Archbishop's visit to Marian House and the Francis Skaryna Library. Just before Christmas Bishop Sipovich received a letter, dated 10 December, from Archbishop Andrew, in which he wrote: "Most probably you have already received Belarus and, having read the correspondence about my canonical visit, are annoyed, because there was no mention of my visit to you. I can tell you with a clear conscience that in that article, in the report of my stay in London, there was a great deal written about you, and especially about the Skaryna Library. However the editors and our (political) leaders, when they saw it, raised the alarm, that once more we were giving arguments for the "expatriates" ("zarubiezhniki") and their like to use against us. Therefore I was forced to write to them telling them to omit a large part (of the article). I beg you not to be angry with me, because this did not depend on me. Anyway, you know well the circumstances in which we live". This was an interesting example of the political pressure on the Belarusian Orthodox Church. As an attempt at censorship it was quite useless, because Bozhym Shliakham (No.5, London, October-December 1971, pp.13-14) quite independently published a short account of the visit, together with a group photo of Archbishop Andrew, Bishop Sipovich and all Belarusian Greek Catholic priests standing outside the Francis Skaryna Library.

Bishop Sipovich answered on 25 February 1972: "Thank you very much for the explanation why there was no mention in Belarus of your visit to Marian House and the Library. It is sad but true! Our lay leaders think that they know better what to do than the priests and bishops. Perhaps sometimes they are right, but in most cases they are wrong. In the name of Christ we must not be afraid of the truth. Your visit to the Belarusian Orthodox communities in England was very useful. The Catholics are also pleased. As you must have seen here many prejudices have been long forgotten, while in the United States they still repeat ad nauseam the old stale arguments. Eventually the union of the Catholics and Orthodox must come, otherwise the words of Christ "That all may be one" will remain unfulfilled! Of course, it is not for us to know when it will come, but it is our duty to do everything in our power so that it may be soon. In the past the Catholics sinned greviously by forcing into their fold people of different faiths. Tsarist Russia did likewise. May God save us from similar times and methods. In our days people are mature enough to make up their own minds, and if Christians were free from various (external) pressures, they would unite much sooner".

The ecumenical spirit was not exactly in abundance among Belarusians. In 1972 Belarusians in Manchester acquired their own church. It was consecrated on Sunday 12 November by Archpriest Eugene Smarshchok who came from Belgium especially for this purpose. On his way back he stopped for a few days in London at Marian House and, as Bishop Sipovich noted in his diary, "tried to explain... why Fr J. Ababurka 'did not dare' to invite the Bishop or some other Catholic to the celebration in Manchester. He said that Father Ababurka felt very badly about it, but his faithful...".

Two years earlier, on 24 November 1970 another Belarusian Orthodox bishop, Mikalay from Toronto, wrote to Bishop Sipovich, using throughout the majestic form "we" instead of "I": "All the time we are praying to God, that He in His great mercy may help the Roman Catholic Church to come back to the Orthodox Christian Faith. And we rejoice in every step which the Roman Catholic Church makes towards prayerful union with the Universal Orthodox Church of Christ. Now there is no longer need to force one's way in, because Athenagoras I, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, has opened wide the door for the Roman Church. Whether the pastors of the Roman Catholic Church will listen to the voice of God, is entirely up to them".

There is no record of Bishop Sipovich's answer. However, when in summer 1979 Bishop Mikalay visited London, he was received with customary warmth, and no mention was made of his letter. On 24 July there was a reception in his honour at St Peter's House. There were about 60 persons present. Bishop Mikalay was greeted by the chairman of the Belarusian Association, Jan Michaluk, and Bishop Sipovich who in his diary made the following entry: "I said that this meeting of two bishops, one Catholic and one Orthodox, who have found a common language in their work for their people, was an historical event". Incidentally Bishop Mikalay was one of the first to attempt the translation of liturgical texts into Belarusian. At heart he was a good and generous man, although somewhat narrow in his outlook.

Bishop Sipovich desired the union of Christians, especially Catholics and Orthodox, with all his heart. But the union should be for the right reasons, free from any external pressure, whether physical or moral, and the methods used should be compatible with respect for human dignity. In particular he found so-called "proselytism", i.e. "making converts" at all costs, without paying much attention to the reasons why someone should want to change his or her religious allegiance, unacceptable. There were times in his pastoral experience when these principles were put to the test.

On Sunday 14 May 1972 Bishop Sipovich had a visitor from New York. He was Kastus Miarlak, a man quite active in the life of the Belarusian community. For some reasons he was in conflict with the authorities of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Rather than trying to resolve the misunderstanding, he decided with the help of his supporters to build his own church, and even found a priest willing to serve in it. Here is what Bishop Sipovich wrote in his diary: "After lunch he (i.e. Miarlak – A.N.) wanted to speak to me in private. I had not the slightest idea what was all this about. It turned out that, in case Father Koush refused to take the parish where they now are building the new church (they have spent $65000 already), the Orthodox Belarusians are prepared to ask me to take over that parish. I said that this was impossible and they should find an Orthodox priest. Whatever the outcome may be in the future, this was for me a great surprise. The Orthodox, unable to agree among themselves, are ready to ask the Uniates, at whom not so long ago they were slinging mud! But such a thing is possible only where the Orthodox are not only Belarusians conscious of their ethnic identity, but also patriots".

Bishop Sipovich was not in a hurry to accept any person who expressed a wish to become a Catholic. Thus when in 1975 someone approached him with such request, he wrote in his diary on 9 October: "I don't know what caused this request, perhaps dissatisfaction with Bishop Mikalay. Full acceptance of the Catholic faith is an act of the grace of God and result of hard work on the part of the person concerned". However, he had no hesitation to act if he was convinced that this was what was required for this person's spiritual good. In the spring of 1970 in Paris Mikola Abramtchyk, President of the Council of the Belarusian National Republic in Exile, was dying of cancer. He was a major Belarusain political figure who for nearly thirty years had championed the cause of Belarusian political independence. He was born Orthodox. Bishop Sipovich went to see him early in May and stayed with him for a few days. Here is what he wrote in his diary on 5 May: "Beautiful day. Again I speak with the President. He says that he firmly believes in God and the immortality of the soul. He makes his confession. Afterwards I give him the sacrament of Extreme Unction. He receives everything with great humility and piety. In fact Mr M. Abramtchyk considers himself to be an Uniate and says that his father was also... The few days which I passed together with Abramtchyk will remain in my memory forever... I prayed to God that He may help me to help Abramtchyk spiritually. He suffers terrible pains. Hence the nervous outbursts".

Abramtchyk died on 29 May. Both Bishop Sipovich and the Orthodox priest from Belgium, Father Eugene Smarshchok atended his funeral on 4 June. Bishop Sipovich wrote: "Mrs Abramtchyk announced: 'Mikola was Orthodox and I wish him to be buried by the Orthodox priest'. I kept quiet. Father Smarshchok said: 'The Bishop and I know what to do and how to do it'... The fact remains that Abramtchyk did not consider himself Orthodox, perhaps only nominally. He had great respect for all Belarusian priests. The Union was for him the Belarusian national religion".

In Autumn 1975 Bishop Sipovich was in the United States. He was asked by some Belarusians to conduct a memorial service at the Belarusian cemetery in New Brunswick, New Jersey, at the Heroes Memorial in honour of all Belarusians who had died for their country or were victims of persecution. The Bishop agreed. On 2 October in Cleveland he paid a visit on Metropolitan Andrew Kryt , the head of the Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. Here is what he wrote in his diary: "In the conversation with the Metropolitan I heard the following statement: 'I get many telephone calls in which people ask me why Bishop Sipovich wants to bless the Heroes' Memorial at the New Brunswick cemetary again, when it was already blessed by me?' I did not plan to talk about this with the Metropolitan. When Mr S. Hutyrchyk asked me to pray at the Memorial, I readily agreed, convinced that all formalities were settled by the organisers. And I had no intention to ask anybody's permission to pray at the Belarusian national memorial at the Belarusian cemetery. However, perhaps it was as well that the Metroplitan raised the matter. I told him that I had no intention to bless again the memorial which had been already blessed; and asked the Metropolitan to explain how things really stood with those who telephoned him". The service took place on 5 October. Bishop wrote in his diary: "At the start I said that I go wherever I am asked by Belarusians, and there had never been a case of Belarusians making any difficulties. Then I told them for whom we would pray... and expanded my meaning taking as a motto  Goethe's 'Die Marmoren sprechen' (The Marble speaks). The Heroes' Memorial is the symbol of our sufferings and our glory. But it must be a living symbol: that we may know our past and  look forward into the future... After the prayers... a reception in the basement of the (Orthodox – A.N.) church... All speeches are calm, full of good will towards me... Uladzimir Rusak remembers a scene from the life in German refugee camps, when the Belarusian Orthodox priest Father Stsiapanau and (Greek Catholic – A.N.) Father Michael Maskalik embraced each other. He adds: 'Something similar might have happened today'. This was an allusion to the fact that no Orthodox priest was present at the cemetery or in the hall. This also made me sad... In conclusion I thanked everybody and begged that my visit might not be the cause of new discord. 'Blessed are the peacemakers'... At the cemetery and in the hall I felt the goodness of our people... If they had wiser priests, the union would come naturally... In the meantime it is necessary with God's help patiently and tactfully persist to plough the first furrow".

In the 1970s Marian House, together with the Francis Skaryna Library and the two other houses became an important Belarusian religious and cultural centre. Apart from purely religious functions, many cultural events took place there, among them annual courses of lectures on Belarusian culture, organised by the Anglo-Belarusian Society.

The conference hall at St Peter's House, 39 Holden Road, became the venue of practically all Belarusian events in London. The Association of Belarusians in Great Britain held its annual general meetings there, as well as meetings to mark the events of national importance, such as Independence day on 25 March. In 1979 this day fell on a Sunday. The organisers, without  much thought, fixed the meeting for 4 p.m., with the results that many people did not come to church in the morning. Bishop Sipovich wrote in his diary: "There are very few people in the chapel. My soul is sad, because this is the feast of the Mother of God and our national feast. The reason why some people did not come to the Liturgy was the meeting and reception at St Peter's House, which was fixed for 4 p.m. An idea came to me to invite everyone before the beginning of the meeting to the chapel and say a short prayer for Belarus. I consulted Mr J. Michaluk, J. Siaukovich and Fr Piakarski (the Orthodox priest). They all agreed. We all gathered in the chapel, sang 'Our Father' and 'O, God Almighty'... At the meeting I made a speech. I touched on three subjects: 1. Today's feast of the Annunciation; 2. The meaning of our national feast; 3. Mother's day. Perhaps I spoke too long... In fact I tried to 'make up' at the meeting what I could not do in the chapel because of the absence of people. How often and how painfully we feel our religious separation! All those people are good and kind, but one cannot direct them, because among us there exist divisions not of a national, but of a religious nature. God, give us unity!"

Late in the night on 1 August 1979 there suddenly appeared at the doorstep of Marian House two young people. They proved to be Orthodox seminarians from Warsaw. Both were Belarusians from the ethnically Belarusian Bialystok region, which remained after the Second World War under Polish rule. After consultation with Fr Nadson, Bishop Sipovich decided to give the two hospitality and pay for them to take an English language course. They stayed for six weeks and made an excellent impression on everybody. They both eventually became Orthodox priests. Bishop Sipovich was willing to invite other Belarusian Orthodox seminarians for the next summer, but the head of the Orthodox Church in Poland, Metropolitan Basil (who was himself a Belarusian) was not in favour.

On 19 August 1979 the Belarusian young people organised a picnic in the Marian House garden, to which the older people were also invited. One of them, an Orthodox, said to Bishop Sipovich: "We should like the Pope to make you, My Lord, an archbishop or even cardinal, but we don't know how to ask and don't want to make a mistake... Can you give us advice?". The Bishop declined to give any advice but made a note in his diary: "Now the attitude of all Orthodox Belarusians towards me is much better than what it was when I started my work here in Great Britain".

Bishop Sipovich was fully aware that the Belarusian community in general was not quite ready for ecumenical dialogue. That is why he took extra care always to be tactful and discreet in his relations with the Orthodox, in particular when dealing with individual cases involving the question of faith. Rather than trying to gain some cheap temporary advantage, he was guided by the age-honoured rule: "Salus animarum suprema lex (salvation of the souls is the supreme law)".

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