“The scourge of alcoholism: current situation, therapy and pastoral aid”: that’s the title of a conference held in recent days at Lvov in Ukraine, organized by the Commission of the pastoral care of health of the Byzantine-rite diocese of Lvov and the Ukrainian Catholic University. “The strength of a people consists of its sobriety” was the slogan of the conference, taken from the words of Ukrainian Metropolitan Andrea Sceptickij. The delegates included representatives of the Church and of civil society, theologians, social workers, doctors, and students. Together they discussed the current situation of alcoholism in the region of Lvov and the need to provide pastoral care for its victims. The Archbishop of Lvov Igor Vozniak said: “The time has come to take the initiative to help those who are dependent on alcohol to get over their addiction and change their life for the better”. According to the archbishop, a strategy at the government level is also needed. The Catholic Church in Ukraine has a long tradition of combating alcoholism; it began at the end of the 19th century with a pastoral letter “For the high dignity of man”, written by Bishop Josif Sembratovich.
