PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Philadelphia has agreed to temporarily cover a monument at one of its cemeteries dedicated to a Nazi Schutzstaffel unit, commonly known as the SS.
The marker, for a unit of Ukrainian soldiers who fought for Nazi Germany in World War II, has been sitting in Saint Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in Elkins Park for 30 years without much scrutiny, until recently.
The American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey is among the groups condemning the monument and calling for its removal.
“When you have units that collaborated with the extermination of Jews, we shouldn’t be honoring that part of history,” said regional director Marsha Bronstein.
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“AJC Philadelphia has had a strong 30-year relationship and partnership with the Ukrainian people in Philadelphia and we have worked together to advance democracy and support our communities through shared values, and we look forward to being a resource to our partners as they explore how best to condemn and remove the statue.”
In a statement, the Ukrainian Catholic Church’s Archbishop Borys Gudziak said the church has decided to temporarily cover that monument while they discuss next steps with members of the community, the Ukrainian consulate and other stakeholders. Their plan is to prevent vandalism and to conduct objective dialogue with all concerned.
The unit is seen by some Ukrainian nationals as a point of pride as the force was organized to oppose Russian advances and was seen as a step toward Ukrainian sovereignty. Critics say any affiliation with Nazism must be condemned.