Hryhoriy Khomyshyn: a way to calvary (on the materials of criminal case)

Abstract

On June 27, 2001, in the city of Lviv during the Liturgy of the Byzantine rite Pope John Paul II beatified 27 modern martyrs of the UGCC. Among them was blessed martyr Hryhoriy Khomyshyn Bishop Stanislavsky. The cause of the beatification process was the martyrdom of Bishop H. Khomyshyn on December 28, 1945 in the hospital of Lukyaniv prison.

The article examines the last months of Bishop H. Khomyshyn’s life, connected with his arrest and detention. The main attention is paid to highlighting the reasons for Bishop Khomyshyn’s imprisonment on the basis of source materials.

The criminal case № 148371 “On the charge of Khomyshyn Hryhoriy Lukach and Lyatyshevsky Ivan Yulianovych” has two volumes consisting of 724 sheets. The case was opened on April 12, 1945 and completed on September 15 of the same year. The interrogations lasted from April 21 to September 11, 1945. There were minutes of thirty five interrogations. Often, they were conducted at night, as evidenced by the notes on the minutes stating the time of the beginning and end of interrogation.

The documents of Bishop Hryhoriy’s case clearly show the desire of the Soviet authorities to charge the bishop with counter-revolutionary activity, although in reality he was arrested solely for believing in God and belonging to the Greek Catholic Church. On December 21, 1945, the martyr bishop was transferred to the hospital of Lukyaniv prison where he passed away on 28 December of that year.

Although the criminal case of the bishop is a highly politicized source aimed at exposing and accusing an ideological and class enemy, it reflects the process of martyrdom of the hierarch of the Church. The minutes of interrogations testify that the blessed H. Khomyshyn was persistent in his convictions. Martyrdom in Christianity has always been regarded as the supreme evidence of faith and love for God. H. Khomyshyn showed this by following Christ and in the end giving his life for Him.