The Sword and the Cross

By Walter Kish

During the course of a week, I read a lot of news, both of the printed variety as well as the huge volume of information on current events to be found on the Internet.  I am what is known as a news “junkie”.  On any given day, I will scan through at least two or three papers, watch the six and eleven o’clock news on TV, and browse through a comprehensive list of Internet news providers.  The Internet has proven to be a boon in this respect because it allows you to easily focus on only those topics or events that are of interest to you.  I can go on Google News, select “Ukraine”, and get hundreds of stories on what is happening in Ukraine.  In addition, most of the major news wires and newspapers in Ukraine have their own web sites on the Internet, many of them with English versions.

This past week, two stories particularly caught my eye, both centered on life altering events to Canadian individuals of Ukrainian descent.  Both were accomplished individuals though in very different ways, as will soon become clear.

The first was the promotion of Lt. General Walter Natynczyk, a native Winnipeger of Ukrainian descent to the position of Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff.  Natynczyk replaces the popular current Chief, General Rick Hillier as Canada’s top soldier.  Natynczyk, joined the Canadian Armed Forces in 1975 and steadily climbed the ranks with distinguished service in a wide variety of postings.  He has served with NATO Forces in Germany, at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario, with the UN Forces in Cyprus, the task force in Bosnia, the multinational forces in Iraq, an exchange program with the U.S. Army, and most recently, he held the post of Vice-Chief of Defence Staff under Hillier.  With the new assignment comes a promotion to full General.  No doubt, his Kozak ancestors would be proud. Perhaps, we should call him Hetman Natynczyk!

The other story that caught my eye was an obituary on the passing of the Right Reverend Mitrophoric Archimandrite Dimitri Pankiw, longtime pastor of St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Toronto. His passing was particularly untimely as he was only 51.  I cannot say I knew him though our paths did cross on a number of occasions.  From all that I have heard, he had a distinguished career as both pastor and church administrator, and was well loved by all.

What caught my eye when I came across the obituary was the title “Mitrophoric Archimandrite”.  I had no idea what that meant.  Reference to a number of comprehensive dictionaries provided no clue as to what “mitrophoric” meant.  Eventually, some persistent Google searching provided the answer - it refers to the conferred honorary right of a clergyman to wear a mitre, a type of ceremonial headdress derived from Byzantine crowns.  Typically, wearing a mitre is strictly the prerogative of bishops; however, a synod of bishops may confer the honour to archpriests and archimandrites in recognition of distinguished service.

Which brings us to the second term - archimandrite.  Originally the term referred to a monastic position, specifically a superior abbot in charge of lesser abbots (or hegumens) who supervised monasteries. The first part of the word archi- means highest in the original Greek.  The second part (mandrite) is derived from the Greek word mandra that means pen or enclosure, and refers metaphorically to a monastery, it too being a form of enclosure.  

In modern times, the title has lost its monastic meaning and is usually an honorary title conferred to a celibate priest in gratitude for services rendered.  The similar designation for a married priest is archpriest.  The Right Reverend Dimitri Pankiw, through his lifelong works and deeds, had earned the designation of a “Mitrophoric Archimandrite”.

And so this past week, two Ukrainian-Canadians went on to their just rewards, though in very different ways, and for very different services rendered. May they both find peace and honour in their new surroundings.