Tag: Borys Gudziak

War on Ukraine: Why Catholic Media Must Cover Conflict

“God is working through all of this,” said Archbishop Gudziak. Images “are reinforcing for all the realization of the God-given dignity of all human beings, the need for peace and justice, and the rule of law. Be not afraid to protect the innocent.”

Michael J.L. La Civita of CNEWA writes an informative article.

Catholic Near East Welfare Association is a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support for the Middle East, Northeast Africa, India and Eastern Europe. It is a worthy and reliable organization that is a good steward of people’s generosity.

Ukrainian Bishops in the USA call to prayer

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Mt. 189:20)

For the past eight years, since the invasion of parts of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation, Ukraine has lived under constant threat. The hybrid war fomented on Ukraine by Russia continues unabated until this day.

Since that time, the Ukrainian people, in Ukraine and throughout the world, have responded to this unprovoked aggression with undaunted determination.  They have countered the Russian disinformation campaign with objective truth, they have morally and financially supported the Ukrainian military and especially the wounded soldiers and citizens displaced by the conflict, and, most importantly, they have prayed to God for peace and an end to the conflict.

As you are aware, the tensions along Ukraine’s eastern border have recently intensified to the point that a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has become a distinct possibility.

Shaken by the threat of actual armed conflict on the European continent, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, addressed the situation in Ukraine in remarks to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, January 23: “I make a heartfelt appeal to all people of good will to raise prayers to Almighty God that all political actions and initiatives may be at the service of human brotherhood rather than partisan interests.”  The Holy Father then proposed that Wednesday, January 26 be proclaimed a day of prayer for peace in Ukraine in the universal Catholic Church.  We wish to sincerely thank Pope Francis for this gesture of solidarity and his paternal love and care for the people of Ukraine.

Our desire as your bishops is that all our parishes and faithful take up this appeal to prayer of the Holy Father.  In our parish communities, wherever possible, we ask that the parish faithful be gathered on Wednesday, January 26 for prayer vigils, divine liturgies, molebens or akathists.  We also encourage that our families and individual faithful respond to this appeal with their own private devotions, prayer and fasting on that day.  Let an avalanche of prayer from every corner of the world ascend to heaven so that the Lord would make an end to the threat of war, death and destruction in Ukraine and everywhere in the world.

We also encourage our faithful to take part in a “Marathon of Prayer” for peace in Ukraine initiated by the Head and Father of our Church, His Beatitude, Patriarch Sviatoslav. It will take place on Wednesday, January 26 for twelve consecutive hours from 9:00 am to 9:00 (Kyiv time); 2:00 am to 2:00 pm (EST); 1:00 am to 1:00 pm (CST); 12:00 am to 12:00 pm (MST); and 11:00 pm to 11:00 am (PST) and can be accessed on the internet at zhyve.tv

With confidence and faith let us lift our hearts to the Lord who saves, as we pray with the Psalmist: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles.” (Ps. 34:17)

+Borys Gudziak
Archbishop of Philadelphia,
Metropolitan of Ukrainian Catholics in the United States

+Paul Chomnycky, OSBM
Eparch of Stamford

+Benedict Aleksiychuk
Eparch of St. Nicholas in Chicago

+ Bohdan J. Danylo
Eparch of St. Josaphat in Parma

+Andriy Rabiy
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia

US Ukrainian Catholic Bishops make peace and justice appeal

In letter to the faithful, the US Ukraine Catholic Bishops speak out against the aggression of Russian toward the people of Ukraine. In part the bishops wrote, “God-given human dignity and freedom threaten rulers who seek to dominate others, build empires, enslave, and colonize. Those with the audacity to resist, who dare to move from the fear of totalitarianism to freedom and dignity are mercilessly punished.”

The bishops ask us to “Pray for peace and justice for Ukraine. Be informed. Support the suffering.” Read the entire episcopal missive:

 Pray for peace and justice for Ukraine

George Weigel speaks at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philly

Below you will find the link to George Weigel’s presentation on June 2, 2019 at the Hall of the Ukrainian Catholic Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Philadelphia. The presentation was part of the enthronement ceremonies for Archbishop Borys Gudziak.
 
“The Catholicism of the future, whether it draws its liturgy, spirituality, and polity from the Christian West or the Christian East, will be a Catholicism that is deliberately chosen and embraced, not a Catholicism that is inherited. And Catholicism will only be chosen and embraced when it is offered and proposed. That means that this Archeparchy and its suffragans … must become once again a missionary enterprise: a Church in which everyone understands himself or herself to be a missionary disciple who was given the Great Commission at baptism; a Church in which every one of those missionary disciples understands that he or she is entering ‘mission territory’ every day—at home, at work, in the neighborhood, in our lives as citizens, and in our lives as consumers” (George Weigel).
 

Gudziak’s Homecoming

George Weigel published today in First Things his essay, “Homecoming,” on Archbishop Borys Gudziak’s recent appointment to be the Metropolitan Archbishop for the Ukrainian Archeparchy in Philadelphia.

Weigel is the author of the well regarded biography of Pope John Paul II. He is Distinguished Senior Fellow of Washington, D.C.’s Ethics and Public Policy Center, where he holds the William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies.

Interview with Archbishop Gudziak

To lead by listening to the Lord and my brothers and sisters

Interview with Bishop Borys Gudziak

On February 18, the Holy See announced that Pope Francis, accepting the recommendation of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), has appointed Bishop Borys Gudziak as Metropolitan and Archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia. For the previous six years Bishop Borys was eparch of the Eparchy of St. Volodymyr in Paris, serving the Ukrainian Greek Catholic faithful in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. We asked him to describe his reactions to the nomination, summarize the years of his service in the Paris Eparchy, and articulate his hopes and dreams for a new mission in the land of his birth.

What was your reaction to the decision of the Synod and of the Holy Father nominating you to the Philadelphia Archeparchy?

Allow me to be open with you. The nomination—and everything that it entails—provokes deep thoughts and sentiments. The first is gratitude and first to God.

As I —hopefully—mature as a human being I am increasingly drawn by the mystery of our God in Three Persons. This may be daring—but I want to be in the presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit… My central belief is that the Son came into this breathtaking yet often frail human race to be with me and you, even in death, to bring us home to the Father. The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus and our salvation in Christ for me are ever more awesome and inspiring… The guidance and comfort of the Holy Spirit give me more hope and joy. I feel the protection of the Mother of God and solidarity of the communion of saints, especially the martyrs. Life in the Lord, who served and suffered, invites me to suffer with and serve gladly those to whom I am called. My desire to give myself fully to God and share His love and friendship with others overflows!

I am grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, to the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and to the Synod for their confidence and blessing. I am at peace. As a Christian and priest, I try to accept God’s will as expressed by the Church, in this case neither seeking nor resisting this nomination.

I have a sense of peace, despite the strong emotions that I am experiencing. Metropolitan-Emeritus Stefan Soroka welcomed me in the Philadelphia Archeparchy many times. He gave me prescient advice when I was beginning my pastoral service in Paris: people and pastoral works first, not buildings. Bishop Andriy Rabiy, energetic and active as Apostolic Administrator, has been ushering me home with care and competence. The other bishops of the metropolia have fraternally encouraged me in these days. I eagerly await the encounter with them and the archeparchy’s clergy, religious and faithful.

I will be leaving the Paris Eparchy with gratitude and joy but also with sadness: gratitude for all of the wonderful priests, religious and faithful in five countries; joy at the many graces we shared, including the increasing spiritual and pastoral maturity of the clergy, the unity of the faithful, and the authentic synodality that developed among us. Here we listened carefully to Pope Francis’ call and drank at the ecclesiological wellspring of the Christian East. In the past four years we held eight sessions of our Eparchial Council (Diocesan Synod), which became for all of us an effective instrument for fostering our unity, faith, and charity. It was not easy because of the distance and diversity. God led us to a life of mutual respect and love. Serving in France, Benelux, and Switzerland was not, for me, a position or a job. It was a life in communion with God and His people. One does not simply walk away from such experiences…

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