Ukraine prison ministry
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the independent Ukrainian country underwent tremendous stress when it shifted from a centrally planned economy to certain kind of a free market system. Those changes, being led by the post-communist oligarchy, caused increasing number of needy and homeless people in Ukraine. In the massive transformation process of the 1990s, corruption among state officials featured the civil life and court system of Ukraine. The crime rate and the prison population has steadily grown ever higher. Since 2001, the situation started to change. It was the year of the pontifical visit of Pope John Paul II to Ukraine. The tendency to diminishing the number of convicts has gained a permanent character. Since then, it was reduced by almost one third. But now the alarming fact is that there are cases of politically motivated criminal persecutions and selective justice.
Prison system of Ukraine [edit]
"The State has the twofold responsibility about crime and punishment: to discourage behavior that is harmful to human rights and the fundamental norms of civil life, and to repair, through the penal system, the disorder created by criminal activity. Judicial and penal institutions play a fundamental role in protecting citizens and safeguarding the common good. By their very nature these institutions must contribute to the rehabilitation of offenders."[1] The legal bases of the organization and activity of the Prison System of Ukraine are determined by the law «On the State Criminal-executive Service of Ukraine» (July 20, 2005). It sets, in particular, the organizational structure of this service, which consists of three levels: central (central body of the executive authority on implementation of punishments, this is the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine), regional (25 territorial bodies of management), local (penitentiary facilities, pre-trial prisons (so called investigation isolators) and units of Criminal-executive Inspection).
The country's prison system was the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs until 1998, when it was placed under the newly created State Penal Department. In December 2010 it was reorganized in The State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine, which is directed by the Ministry of Justice. This Service is responsible for the execution of criminal sentences within the Ukrainian prison system. There are 182 penal institutions in Ukraine (for January 1, 2013 - 32 pre-trial detention prisons, 142 penal facilities of different levels of security, 8 corrective penal settlements for minors). Prison population reported for January 1, 2013 had number 147,112 people. It makes up a significant share of Ukrainian society: 325 prisoners per 100,000 people.. (It was 347 per 100,000 people for July 2011, as Prison Brief for Ukraine of the International Centre for Prison Studies has informed). Approximately one-fifth are remanded prisoners. Since March 1997 the capital punishment has been abandoned. Ukraine abolished the death penalty in February 2000. There are 1,763 life sentenced prisoners. Huge number of the citizenry has had some time prison past. Contemporary prison system of Ukraine often falls a hostage of the judicial system that remains quite punitive.
Work for development of the State Probation Service has begun. It would give the opportunity for wider application of the alternative punishments which would be not connected to deprivation of freedom.
Though a legislation about Prison Pastoral Care has yet not been approved de jure, prison chaplaincy is now experiencing the time of revival after the long period of atheism.
Prison Chaplaincy. Presentation of Prison Ministry of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church [edit]
So, prisons are a reality of any society. But, quite often, prison causes more problems than it solves. Generally speaking, prisoners are persons excluded, aborted from society. But they are certain symbol and image of country people. Pope Benedict XVI told in his Address to catholic chaplains:
"Prisoners easily can be overwhelmed by feelings of isolation, shame and rejection that threaten to shatter their hopes and aspirations for the future. Within this context, chaplains and volunteers are called to be heralds of God’s infinite compassion and forgiveness. In cooperation with civil authorities, they are entrusted with the weighty task of helping the incarcerated rediscover a sense of purpose so that, with God’s grace, they can reform their lives, be reconciled with their families and friends, and, insofar as possible, assume the responsibilities and duties which will enable them to conduct upright and honest lives within society".[2]
Prison Chaplain is vocated to provide Pastoral care to those who are incarcerated either awaiting trial or to persons after conviction. The activity that prison chaplains are called to undertake is important, not only in the specifically religious dimension, but also in defense of the Humane Dignity of those detained. The Chaplain becomes a pastor to the inmates as well as their teacher in spiritual matters. Achievement in these areas will help to insure the future re-integration of offender to the community. This important aspect incorporates areas of spiritual, moral and emotional development for the prisoners. Prison chaplains give the support of the spiritual and religious needs of prison guards and staff as well. Their work in demanding and brutal environment often creates a special need for pastoral care, similar to the care that is extended to the military, police officers.
The prison pastoral care was at the very heart of the spirituality of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church throughout her history. Now we cannot imagine any prison without presence of a chaplain. It was a merit of former heads of the State Penal Department of Ukraine Volodymyr Liovochkin, Ivan Shtanko and Vasyliy Koschinets. They opened the gates of any prison for church pastors. The workers of the Social, Educational and Psychological Service of the prison system of Ukraine were the main link assisting establishment of prison chaplaincy step by step. Prison Pastoral of the UGCC, though it is still very young, is taking successive steps to integrity. It was restored in 1990 after the Church, formerly forbidden, emerged from the underground. Pastoral care has grown steadily from several prison facilities in the Western Part of Ukraine to more than 40 penal institutions in every region of the country. The most active prison chaplains are the Redemptorist Fathers. Since 2001 the UGCC is the co-founder of the Ukrainian Interdenominational Christian Mission "Spiritual and Charitable Care in Prisons" including twelve Churches and Denominations. This Mission is a part of the World Association of Prison Ministry.
Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has defined the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, which every year falls up to date two weeks before the Great Lent, as a Day of special pastoral attention and prayer for prisoners themselves and for the other victims of crimes. The Gospel Reading on this Sunday (Luke 15:11-32) lays out one of the most important themes of the Lenten season: the history of falling into a sin, realization of one's sinfulness, the road to repentance, and finally reconciliation, each of which is illustrated in the course of the parable. The UGCC Synod invokes to remember in prayers workers of the Penitentiary system of Ukraine, who perform difficult tasks, because every day they are near of broken human destinies. This Sunday declared as a day to remember in prayers and support chaplains and volunteers, who work with great dedication to provide spiritual support for prisoners, helping them to step on the right path.
Structure [edit]
The Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is an organ of Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych, which coordinates and promotes the common activity of the UGCC in Ukraine to make influence on society in different spheres: education, policy, culture, etc. The Curia develops action of the Church's structures, enables relations and cooperation with other Churches and major public institutions in religious and social areas to practice the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church in everyday life.
Auxiliary bishop Bohdan Dzyurach is the head of the Patriarchal administration. In the year 2006 Lubomyr Husar, former head of the UGCC, established in the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC the Department for Pastoral Care in the Armed Forces and in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine. This structure implements a general management of Prison Ministry. The chief of the Department is Michael Koltun, Bishop of Sokal and Zhovkva. The head of the Office for Penitentiary Pastoral Care is Constantin Panteley, who is responsible for coordination of activity in this realm. He is in direct contact with 37 priests in 12 eparchies who have been assigned responsibility for prison pastoral care. Those pastors ensure regular attendance of penitentiary facilities, investigatory isolators and prisons.
Department of the UGCC for Pastoral Care in the Armed Forces and in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine is provisory structure till both chaplaincies will be quite ripe. Prison Pastoral Care is appealed to facilitate transition from the punitive system neglecting human dignity to the social law enforcement service cherishing penitentiary idea. Our mission is to serve the inmates in the national penitentiaries with Christian charity and reconciliation through extensive ministry to the spiritual and physical needs of prisoners of any creed, sex, age, religious faith, or nationality. The priority directions of the ministry are sermon, catechetics, administration of the sacraments for inmates, assistance and support of communication with family, spiritual support of the prison stuff, engagement of lay people in ministry.
The UGCC Prison Ministry has many directions of development in compatibility with other missions of the Church. It is currently carrying out on the base of "The Agreement for cooperation of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church with the State Penal Department of Ukraine", which offers many possibilities. Today pastoral ministry is regularly carried out in penitentiary facilities # 3, 13, 27, 30, 40, 41, 44, 47, 48, 50, 55, 57, 63, 85, 110, 112, 120, 124, in correctional centres # 118, 128, 135 in nine investigatory isolators and in three juvenile prisons of Ukraine. The other 6 prisons our pastors are able to attend just irregularly.
Development [edit]
The UGCC became an active member of The International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care (ICCPPC) at the XIIth World Congress, held in Rome in September 2007. The ICCPPC is a worldwide Association of country delegates for Catholic Prison Pastoral Care, composed of clerical and lay persons. At this Congress the Church expressed concern about imprisoned held in inhumane conditions, especially minors, women, old and mentally ill persons and those people who only came on trial and their guilt was not proven.
For the first time in the history of Ukraine, a training program for prison chaplains of the UGCC called “Pastoral care at the penitentiary institutions of Ukraine" was held at the Professional College of the State Penal Department in Bila Tserkva town in November, 2007. On February - May, 2008 this common educational program was spread out for other Christian denominations.
Since 2008 chaplains of the UGCC are in closer cooperation with catholic chaplains in Poland sharing experiences.
On February, 2008 the UGCC made a presentation of the Ukrainian publication of Compendium of the Catholic social teaching for the State Penal Department of Ukraine.
On June, 2008 the UGCC and Penitentiary Service of Ukraine carried out the First Pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia, a sacred place of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The employees of the Central Administration of the Penal Department, chiefs of all Regional Management Units of the Penal System, chiefs and assistants of 183 prison facilities of Ukraine and clergy of different Churches took part in this pilgrimage. The total number of pilgrims was more than 350 persons. Pilgrimage was carried out with the intention to deepen the understanding of vocation to the prison service and to comprehend the Teaching of the Church about challenges concerning crime, sin, penance, pardon, change of life and cherishment of the human dignity.
The UGCC invites the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine for an annual pilgrimage to the Saint Dormition Monastery of Univ (Lviv region). This pilgrimage for the workers of the prison system of Ukraine, named “Justice, Faith and Mercy!”, is dedicated to the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross (or Triumph of the Cross) on September, 26-27.
The Ukrainian translation of the book Human Rights of Prisoners was issued on July, 2008. The English version of the book was published in 2006 in Rome under the aegis of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the International Commission of Catholic Prison Pastoral Care(ICCPPC). The translation of "Human Rights of Prisoners" into Ukrainian was published on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, accepted and proclaimed on December 10, 1948, by the General Assembly of the UN.
“All of us are sinners, even though only a small percentage of us are criminals. Crime is an indisputable fact of our reality. However, we do not always understand and know how to treat it, how to treat criminals or how criminals themselves should consider the state of their souls,” - so wrote Patriarch Lubomyr in the introduction, - “Even if these people are justly convicted because they made a big mistake, stepping on the wrong path, they are facing sufferings. They need our help, in the words of Jesus Christ - our compassion.”
The International Conference “Area Juridica of Prison Ministry” took place in Kyiv on June 6, 2009, by the initiative of the ICCPPC-Europe. The Conference was organized in cooperation of the UGCC and the State Penal Department of Ukraine. Participants examined the status of legislation in European countries for the safeguarding of human dignity in prisons. The Conference analyzed status of criminal justice in Central and Eastern Europe, human rights of prisoners and convicts. Members of the working group of the ICCPPC-Europe invited for the Conference representatives of Churches ministering in prisons of Ukraine. Vice-president of PFI Soren Johnson and head chaplain of Russia Alexander Dobrodiejev participated in this event.
Later on Dr. Christian Kuhn, President of the ICCPPC, who is well known human rights defender, represented position of the Catholic Pastoral Ministry about religious rights of prisoners at The Twelfth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, which took place in Salvador, Brazil, from 12–19 April 2010.
In December 2009 the Commission of Kiev Archdiocese for penitentiary pastoral care was founded by decision of Lubomir Husar.
The issues of the ministry in prison were as a subject of three sessions of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2010. The understanding and sensitivity of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC concerning prison pastoral ministry is growing. The Sunday of the Prodigal Son has been appointed as a day of the Prison Pastoral Care. In summer of 2010 the registration of the 1-st Rehabilitation Center for women ex-prisoners started in Chernigiv suburb.
The importance and value of pastoral care in penitentiary system is indisputable. Even if prison chaplaincy does not exist in Ukraine de jure, ministry of the Church in prison establishments of Ukraine became more possible de facto than we practically offer now! The number of well trained lay volunteers is not enough. Not all assigned pastors really respond to vocation for regular ministry in prison.
Former Chief Representative of the ICCPPC-Europe Deacon Peter Echtermeyer did a lot for inspiration of Prison Pastoral. He traveled to Ukraine four times. The Board of the ICCPPC-Europe has gathered on January 2012 in Lviv (Western Ukraine) to analyze the development of the international cooperation in the region. Conference was headed by Msgr. Pawel Wojtas (Poland), vice-president of the ICCPPC and Fr. Marc Helfer (France), chief representative of the ICCPPC-Europe.
In December 12, 2012 the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) and Alexander Lisitskov, the Head of the State Penitentiary Service of Ukraine (SPSU), Lieutenant-General of internal service, have signed an Agreement of cooperation. The Agreement is a reflection of cooperation according to the previous document signed by cardinal Lubomir Huzar in the year 2007. The text of the Agreement summarizes not only the structural changes that have occurred over the past 5 years, but also laid emphasis on pastoral care about staff of the SPSU and families of staff, students of educational the SPSU institutions, prisoners and persons detained. There is another fruit of modern presence of catholic chaplaincy in the Penitentiary System of Ukraine – the edition in December 2012 of a manual called «To minister prisoners». This book gives important guidelines for ministry in penitentiary institutions. The book is useful for seminarians, priests and volunteers of this wonderful ministry. Authors who participated in writing the book: Ph.D. Sergey Zamula, Th.M. Yuri Cousio, Fr. Dr. Jaroslav Storonyak, Igor Car, Fr. Basil Pantelyuk, Fr. Emelyan Kolodchak and Fr. Constantine Pantelei – endeavored to share with readers the best achievements in the field of Prison Ministry of the Church.
We can see now rapid development and maturation of prison pastoral mission of the Ukrainian Catholic Church through engagement of its lay and pastoral resources. Planning and coordination of the ministry facilitates the improvement of evangelization behind bars. Pastoral care is embracing not just offenders but prison personnel as well. It gives more chances for the establishment of a prison chaplaincy institution in Ukraine that meets European prison standards. It means reform and development of the criminal justice and prison system in Ukraine towards regard of the human rights of inmates. But mission of the Church in prison has new challenges and demands.The Institution of Prison Chaplaincy in Prison System of Ukraine would be approved by legislation in few years. Church in Ukraine is giving a worthy reply to the spiritual hunger of prisoners and this serves for restoration the moral health of society.
Prison Ministry of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine [edit]
Grzegorz Draus is the head chaplain of the Roman Catholic prison ministry in Ukraine. The most active prison chaplains are Oblate Fathers. Since September, 2000 Fr. Draus started to work among prisoners in two penal institutions. From the beginning of his ministry in Ukraine Fr. Grzegorz does his best efforts to animate the local RCC ordinaries to promote prison pastoral care and the humanisation of the prison system of Ukraine. He was a Board Chairperson of the Ukrainian Inter-confessional Christian Mission during 2007 - 2011 as well .
On the background of the program elaborated with the Greek-Catholic Chaplaincy in the year 2008 he developed the educational seminar for Christian Churches Ministry in Prisons. The goal was to promote active cooperation with Christian Churches and Denominations, taking into account specificities of Ukrainian Penal System institutions. Heads of the regional Prison Management Units of Ukraine made reports about improving of cooperation of prison personnel with chaplains and volunteers. The officials recognized the positive changes of convicts under the influence of pastoral care.
The cycle of lectures had three sessions (in total 72 academic hours). Chaplains and volunteers participated in the training program accepted a certificate qualifying them to conduct ministries in prisons and provide professional support to convicts. The Ukrainian Interdenominational Christian Mission "Spiritual and Charitable Care in Prisons", as mentioned before, includes twelve Churches and Denominations.
Social teaching of the Church about punishment for crime [edit]
- Here are represented some parts of the Compendium
Inflicting punishment. Penology.
402. In order to protect the common good, the lawful public authority must exercise the right and the duty to inflict punishments according to the seriousness of the crimes committed.[3] The State has the twofold responsibility to discourage behaviour that is harmful to human rights and the fundamental norms of civil life, and to repair, through the penal system, the disorder created by criminal activity. In a State ruled by law the power to inflict punishment is correctly entrusted to the Courts: “In defining the proper relationships between the legislative, executive and judicial powers, the Constitutions of modern States guarantee the judicial power the necessary independence in the realm of law”.[4]
403. Punishment does not serve merely the purpose of defending the public order and guaranteeing the safety of persons; it becomes as well an instrument for the correction of the offender, a correction that also takes on the moral value of expiation when the guilty party voluntarily accepts his punishment.[5] There is a twofold purpose here. On the one hand, encouraging the re-insertion of the condemned person into society; on the other, fostering a justice that reconciles, a justice capable of restoring harmony in social relationships disrupted by the criminal act committed.
In this regard, the activity that prison chaplains are called to undertake is important, not only in the specifically religious dimension of this activity but also in defence of the dignity of those detained. Unfortunately, the conditions under which prisoners serve their time do not always foster respect for their dignity; and often, prisons become places where new crimes are committed. Nonetheless, the environment of penal institutions offers a privileged forum for bearing witness once more to Christian concern for social issues: “I was ... in prison and you came to me” (Mt 25:35-36).
404. The activity of offices charged with establishing criminal responsibility, which is always personal in character, must strive to be a meticulous search for truth and must be conducted in full respect for the dignity and rights of the human person; this means guaranteeing the rights of the guilty as well as those of the innocent. The juridical principle by which punishment cannot be inflicted if a crime has not first been proven must be borne in mind.
In carrying out investigations, the regulation against the use of torture, even in the case of serious crimes, must be strictly observed: “Christ's disciple refuses every recourse to such methods, which nothing could justify and in which the dignity of man is as much debased in his torturer as in the torturer's victim”.[6] International juridical instruments concerning human rights correctly indicate a prohibition against torture as a principle which cannot be contravened under any circumstances.
Likewise ruled out is “the use of detention for the sole purpose of trying to obtain significant information for the trial”.[7] Moreover, it must be ensured that “trials are conducted swiftly: their excessive length is becoming intolerable for citizens and results in a real injustice”.[8]
Officials of the court are especially called to exercise due discretion in their investigations so as not to violate the rights of the accused to confidentiality and in order not to undermine the principle of the presumption of innocence. Since even judges can make mistakes, it is proper that the law provide for suitable compensation for victims of judicial errors.
405. The Church sees as a sign of hope “a growing public opposition to the death penalty, even when such a penalty is seen as a kind of ‘legitimate defence' on the part of society. Modern society in fact has the means of effectively suppressing crime by rendering criminals harmless without definitively denying them the chance to reform”.[9] Whereas, presuming the full ascertainment of the identity and responsibility of the guilty party, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude the death penalty “when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor”.[10] Bloodless methods of deterrence and punishment are preferred as “they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person”.[11] The growing number of countries adopting provisions to abolish the death penalty or suspend its application is also proof of the fact that cases in which it is absolutely necessary to execute the offender “are very rare, if not practically non-existent”.[12] The growing aversion of public opinion towards the death penalty and the various provisions aimed at abolishing it or suspending its application constitute visible manifestations of a heightened moral awareness.
See more in the article Capital punishment.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Published by Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Ottawa, 2005, ISBN 0-88997-509-4, Softcover, pp. 446
- ^ ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE TWELFTH WORLD CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION OF CATHOLIC PRISON PASTORAL CARE. Castel Gandolfo. Thursday, 6 September 2007.© Copyright 2007 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
- ^ Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2266.
- ^ John Paul II, Address to the Italian Association of Judges (31 March 2000), 4: AAS 92 (2000), 633.
- ^ Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2266.
- ^ John Paul II, Address to the International Committee of the Red Cross, Geneva (15 June 1982), 5: L'Osservatore Romano, English edition, 26 July 1982, p. 3.
- ^ John Paul II, Address to the Italian Association of Judges (31 March 2000), 4: AAS 92 (2000), 633.
- ^ John Paul II, Address to the Italian Association of Judges (31 March 2000), 4: AAS 92 (2000), 633.
- ^ John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Evangelium Vitae, 27: AAS 87 (1995), 432.
- ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267.
- ^ Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Instruction Libertatis Conscientia, 79: AAS 79 (1987), 590.
- ^ Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2266.
