| The structure and administrative aspects of the underground Church were hidden because of the code of secrecy. But the continuity of the episcopacy was preserved. It was the priority and the largest success of the Church under the circumstances of the permanent persecution. The conditions of the underground forced the hierarchy to be ruled by Christian personalize, to see every person in its concrete context, but not imitate a formal doctrine or remain in captivity of the ideological stereotype. Wisdom and tolerance in connection with caution, courage, and resolution of Mykola Charnetsky and Iwan Latyshewsky, the last legally ordained bishops which were able to return from exile to Lviv and Stanislaviv, underground bishops Wasyl Welychkowsky, Wolodymyr Sternyuk, Fylymon Kurchaba, Iwan Slezyuk, Sofron Dmyterko, Iwan Semediy, Pawlo Wasylyk allow to preserve the Church and ensure the permanent need of faithful in priests. Just with their benediction there acted underground seminaries. Mainly the older clergymen who were the good priests and had necessary knowledge carried out the theological studies. It is known, that the training of the future priests was provided personally by Rev. Mychaylo Kosylo, Rev. Yewstachiy Smal`, Rev. Yewhen Pelech, Rev. Wasyl Semeniuk, Rev. Antoniy Masyuk, Rev. Mykola Kuts`, Bishop†Welychkowsky, Bishop Wasylyk, Bishop Dmyterko. Despite some lack of theoretical knowledge the newly-ordained priests distinguished by their self-sacrifice and offering in divine service. Their example consolidated of the laity in belief and hope on the freedom of the Church. |
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Underground ordinations of new priests
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