Education for better country's future

The speech of Myroslav Marynovych:

Good day to everyone, and for those of you who are devout Christians—Christ is born!

I congratulate you as winners, and not just in one sense of the word. First, you are winners in a specific educational project. And I must admit, I would gladly shed 50 years to be among you, discovering new perspectives for myself. I envy you—in the best way! Second, you are victors over your own busyness and weaknesses. Participating in this project required significant effort and even self-sacrifice, and I congratulate you for overcoming that as well.

As far as I understand, this project provided you not only with professional knowledge but also with something we might call value-based formation. And that is extremely important. At the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU), we often say that proper education must rely on two wings: faith and reason. In other words, professional education should be complemented by value-based education.

In today’s Ukraine, this is not self-evident. I’ve often encountered considerable resistance from professionals who claim their sole task is to provide quality professional education, leaving value-based education to parents. I don’t deny that parents are the first educators of their children, but they are neither the only nor the exclusive ones.

First, in every profession, there is always an aspect we call professional ethics. And where else can one learn about it if not during professional education?

Second, no profession exists in isolation. Every profession is an essential tool for achieving the common good. Therefore, a professional must understand the values that hold society together.

And finally, third, the ethical and value-based foundation of education sets the right direction for applying the professional knowledge gained. Without it, professional knowledge can become a tool in the service of evil. Unfortunately, Ukrainian history has seen this happen more than once.

So, I wish you to be dedicated members of the group of educators who complement professional education with the ethical training of their students. Now, let me outline a few societal challenges that you will, in one way or another, influence in the future as teachers. After all, you are now shaping those who will change the country in 10–20 years.

The war is ongoing. The immense sacrifice the Ukrainian nation is making today is already becoming the fertile seed from which, we believe, a transformed destiny for our land will arise. Out of smoke and ashes, a new architecture of international security is emerging, where Ukraine must not only gain recognized agency but also become one of the pillars of the security framework.  

All these tasks will require one essential prerequisite—the transformation of Ukrainians themselves. We cannot afford to remain the same as we were before February 24, 2022. We need the tablets of a new law for our lives—a new social contract, to be defined by a "critical mass" of those who, in memory of the innocent victims, renounce the dishonor of the past.  

These changes must also reach schools, which should become places where you bear witness to values, not by imposing them through force. The word "witness" carries great weight. People should recognize who you are by your actions.  

Values imposed by force wither away when the force is removed. But when you bear witness through your own behavior, you become a model to follow. You may be familiar with the significant passage from the prophet Jeremiah: "This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel... I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:33). This means that when a person agrees to inscribe God’s law in their heart, they live according to it voluntarily, of their own free will.  

As Jeremiah's words suggest, in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the key is to "reformat" the person—to rewrite the law in their heart, shaping how they live. "And when a person changes, society will change too." So help God instill values in the soul of a child, and by doing so, you will transform society.  

However, without an internal desire for change, transforming a person is nearly impossible. How can we help someone? Above all, it is essential to understand the nature of spiritual processes, something you, as teachers, know well from your own experiences. 

The nature of spiritual processes  

Spiritual processes are unique—they are quantum and leap-like in nature. You cannot abandon immorality the way you might quit smoking: by lying 20 times today, 19 tomorrow, 18 the day after, and eventually stopping altogether after 20 days. It all depends on your willpower and decision-making, and I understand that making such a decision is often not easy.  

The same principle applies to society. A "democracy of permissiveness" does not evolve into a "democracy of responsibility" gradually. This, too, is a quantum leap that requires a critical mass of people willing to take the plunge. As stated in the *Appeal of the Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church to the Faithful and All People of Good Will Regarding the Task of Christians in Modern Society* from 1999:  

"Our nation will not be saved by the wisest or most just laws, decrees, market reforms, or other measures if there is not an adequate number of citizens who conscientiously implement and justly use those regulations and measures."  

Another key feature of spiritual processes is that evil will find its way on its own, while spiritual growth requires effort. This is akin to chemistry, where there are exothermic and endothermic reactions: the former release heat naturally, while the latter require an input of energy to occur. Similarly, the processes of moral decay happen effortlessly, pulling a person downward. In contrast, spiritual growth demands energy and effort. If we are not climbing upward, we are falling. There are no horizontal lines in spiritual processes—or rather, there can be, but only if such a state is actively maintained.  

I speak of the societal importance of values, even as I recognize that the world has entered a dangerous phase: more and more global leaders are setting values aside and prioritizing self-serving interests. This is an incredibly risky stage because history has shown that national egotism tends to lead to conflict. The Second World War is a vivid example of this.  

How should we, as Ukrainians, respond? I am convinced that it would be extremely dangerous for us to catch this "virus" of egotism. As has often happened in history, such infections in the world may fade quickly, but in Ukraine, they tend to linger. In the end, fingers would point at us. In the mid-20th century, all of Europe was infected with nationalism, but which nationalism was most discussed later? Ukrainian nationalism—because we were weak.  

To become strong and assert our agency, we must build a solid foundation of values. Let us now consider what might help us achieve this.  

Solidarity  

On the one hand, throughout the 30 years of our independence, the Achilles’ heel of our society has been a lack of solidarity. We had many honest and virtuous individuals, but each of them felt like a "lone warrior in the field." On the other hand, during the Maidans and at the start of the full-scale invasion, our society demonstrated remarkable feats of mutual solidarity. So where does the truth lie?  

As we know, the "chain reaction" of societal action begins with God’s commandments: **love for one’s neighbor → interpersonal trust → interpersonal solidarity → the energy of collective social action.** This chain of interdependence forms one dimension of what we call God’s order. The commandment "Love your neighbor as yourself" truly lies at the foundation of social trust. Take away a person’s capacity for empathy and compassion, and they cease to be a social being, transforming instead into a solitary bee that has lost its way to the hive and no longer remembers the existence of the swarm.  

Blessed Lubomyr Huzar identified the source of trust: *"If we want to create an environment where trust prevails, let us resolve not to trade in truth."* As we see from the situation in Ukraine, this is easier said than done. There are still too many among us who believe that living honestly and truthfully is a path to one’s own detriment, a way to become a "loser." And even the war, as we can see, has not entirely dismantled this mindset: the logic of material gain and personal benefit still dominates the hearts of many, outweighing the authority of God’s commandments.  

So how do we go about restoring trust? Well, we have all witnessed the way such trust has been established before our eyes between our volunteers and the soldiers of our army. It is they who have tugged on the “string” that unravels the entire tangle: love for one’s neighbor, grounded in truth, generates interpersonal trust, which, in turn, enables interpersonal solidarity. This solidarity then becomes the vital energy of collective social action.  

To achieve this, there’s no need to march an army on Kyiv or storm government palaces. Instead, one must simply look into their own soul and restore the proper matrix of values.  

Self-Sacrifice  

When we talk about upholding values, we almost always encounter the reality that those who carry these values will often have to go against the current. This almost inevitably requires sacrifice. Anyone who wants to move a wagon from a standstill must stand at its forefront.  

Think of that powerful moment in Mel Gibson’s *The Passion of the Christ*, where Jesus, bearing His cross, says to His Mother through His suffering: *"Behold, I make all things new..."* (Revelation 21:5). That is how the world is designed—without sacrifice, you cannot create something new. The time to create something new often comes precisely when success seems impossible, when evil sneers triumphantly, and when the weight of your life's cross completely presses you to the ground.  

I am not saying that we must inevitably endure sacrifice, but we must be prepared to defend what we hold as valuable. Today, we need to understand that a society unwilling to make small sacrifices will eventually be forced to make great ones.  

I recall a young man from Kyiv who responded to similar words of mine shortly before the Revolution of Dignity: "Sacrifice is a thing of your time, Mr. Myroslav. Nowadays, all you need is to properly draft a grant proposal, secure funding, and carry out your plans." A few months later, the Revolution of Dignity began, culminating in the sacrifice of the *Heavenly Hundred*. I wonder if that young man recalled our conversation and realized that without the sacrifice of the Maidan protesters, Yanukovych would never have left Ukraine.  

It is crucial to understand, however, that sacrifice only fulfills its purifying function when it is voluntary. Involuntary sacrifice becomes torment.  

Voluntary sacrifice brings with it one benefit: you have no reason to complain—neither to God nor to people. You chose this path yourself. And believe me, this greatly simplifies life.  

The necessity of self-sacrifice may seem to contradict the formula for success: cars, mansions, pools, fame... Yet I consider myself a successful person, and my success came after 10 years of imprisonment. Who in their right mind would say that prison is a path to success?  

So I urge you: change these flawed formulas of success, both within yourselves and in your students.  

Service  

Our people have lived for too long in a country where service was replaced by domination. The very word “service” was often perceived as degrading subservience. Yet we know Jesus’ words: “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35).  

Do everything in your power to break this harmful tradition. Let your students experience the joy of serving others and understand how it enriches their own lives. Teach them the paradox: when you give, you gain.  

My way of escaping despair when I sin is to urgently do an act of kindness for someone without expecting anything in return. And then peace returns to my soul.

Moral hemophilia and freedom  

It’s easy to imagine that after the war ends, we will once again find ourselves arguing over our differences. The key is to ensure these differences don’t turn into hostility. Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyy aptly diagnosed one of our chronic societal ailments: “moral hemophilia.” This is when even the smallest disagreement turns people into enemies. We need “therapy sessions” to help society recognize this ailment, which the traumas of war could further exacerbate. Teach children to distinguish between an opponent and an enemy.  

This process will take time, but timing is crucial. Here, the words of Blessed Lubomyr Husar offer guidance: “Give people the chance to grow in freedom.” Educate students so they grow up in freedom, with the dignity that makes true freedom possible. At the same time, teach them to distinguish between freedom and permissiveness, as the latter is not freedom. True freedom cannot exist without responsibility.  

Unfortunately, in our post-communist society, there are still many spiritually wounded people who equate freedom with permissiveness and arbitrariness. They resist acknowledging that true freedom is responsible freedom. A free person has not only rights but also obligations—toward God and others.  

European traditions also link freedom with responsibility. This principle is echoed in the Ukrainian Charter of a Free Person: “To be a free person means, first and foremost, taking responsibility.” It continues: “Responsibility for one’s life—and thus for one’s success, well-being, and happiness—cannot be delegated to anyone else. We alone are responsible for ourselves.”

The criticisms from people during the discussion of this Charter were interesting: "Why are you asking us to be responsible? Direct it to those up there!" It was deeply upsetting to hear this because it sounded like the voice of paternalism. If you delegate responsibility for your life to those "above," you are admitting that you are merely a slave, a cog in society. An individual becomes a person not only when they realize their free will and feel their human dignity but also when they take responsibility for their free actions.

The transformation of a slave into a free person is somewhat akin to childbirth: the child is not born through the mother’s effort alone. 

However, there is no pessimism in this. We must simply learn to see not only the seemingly endless labor pains but also the remarkable path of civic maturity that Ukraine has undergone since independence. The struggle for independence, the Ukrainian Maidan protests, and the spiritual upliftment after Russia’s invasion have been fantastic stages of Ukrainians' growth in freedom. A lot has been achieved, but the journey is not over: we still need to grow in freedom!

This growth will ultimately lead to the formation of a new social contract. 

It is believed that a change in the social contract requires at least two generations. This certainty, of course, comes from Moses' forty years, during which he led the Israelites through the desert. Therefore, to shake off the dust of slavery from our feet, we still have about seven years to go. But there is one catch: the issue is not the magic of the number forty. Between the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the Promised Land, a key event occurred that would shape the future life of the biblical people: Moses ascended Mount Sinai and received the tablets of the Covenant from God. In modern terms, the people received the principles of a new social contract that they were to live by from then on. Of course, they didn’t accept it immediately—the biblical Aarons did indeed dance around the newly cast golden calf (Ex. 32:1–6). But ultimately, the new social contract severed the umbilical cord that had tied the people to their land of slavery.

So, we’ve been wandering through our deserts for thirty years now, but we have yet to ascend our own Mount Sinai. That is why we need to renew our country based on a fundamentally different concept of governance and a new  "social contract." And both of these changes must arise from new ideas and timeless spiritual values. Therefore, today we must rethink these values once again.

January 24, 2025, Lviv, Andrey Sheptytsky Center, Ukrainian Catholic University  
The educational program for computer science teachers, "Leave no one behind partnership," is being implemented by the NGO "All-Ukrainian Democratic Forum" in collaboration with the Ukrainian Catholic University, with the support of Taiwan and the assistance of Mykola Knyazhytsky.