The Word of God at the Meeting Point of Civilisation: Cultural and Identity Search in the Space of Religious Life of Roman Catholics in Contemporary Ukraine

Abstract

: The Roman Catholic Church in contemporary Ukraine is to a large extent the heir to the tradition of the Latin rite of Lviv metropolis formed within the Polish Crown and other political entities related to Polish statehood and culture. In the general consciousness, this Church is considered to be the ,Polish Church‘ as distinct from the ,Ruthenian Church‘, Orthodox. The revival of the Church in the conditions of the Ukrainian state causes many discussions of an identity nature. Nationalist tendencies lead to the rejection of Polish cultural heritage and the creation of a new quality in the religious space, usually iden-tified with the centuries-old achievements of civilization.