Here is a summary of an article by Andrea Gagliarducci published by Acistampa in Italian on the recent meetings of representatives of the Synod of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome. The article is here. Thanks to Fr. Athanasius McKay for his notes.
“Pope Francis wants the Eastern Catholic Churches to grow, develop and flourish.” The Pope distinguished Eastern Catholic Churches from “Uniatism” as a method. Churches are not methods.
Instead of the old individual ad limina meetings, this represents a new methodology of the Pope and his curia meeting with the Major Archbishop and his synod together.
“It was clear to everybody that the war is a foreign aggression and that Ukraine is the victim.”
“The problem with ecumenism in Ukraine and in the whole territory of the ex-Soviet Union, is that decolonization has not yet happened. The Churches were often servants and instruments of the state authorities.”
“[our goals: the patriarchate, the beatification of Sheptytsky, etc.] are closer than they were three days ago.”
The Latin Church understands the concept of “Ecclesia particularis” as “local Church.” But at the meeting we had metropolitans from Canada, Brazil, USA, Poland. We are not a local Church but an “Ecclesia sui juris”, which is a global reality. This is a Byzantine concept of Catholic universalism.
“Metropolitan Sheptytsky was the first to fully realise the global nature of our Church. When he was metropolitan, our Church only had three eparchies in Western Ukraine. Now we have 34 eparchies throughout the world. It is also thanks to Metropolitan Sheptytsky, who was the first to make pastoral visits to the faithful throughout the world. We are harvesting the fruits that Metropolitan Sheptytsky planted.”
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.
~a letter from His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav
The Stamford Eparchy is hosting an event for children on September 29, “Children United in Prayer.”
On Saturday, 11 November, there was a Divine Liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica (Rome) over the tomb of St. Josaphat at the Altar of St. Basil the Great, as part of the festivities at St. Josaphat’s Pontifical Ukrainian College commemorating the 85th anniversary of its establishment and the Feast of St. Josaphat the College’s patron.rday, 11 November, there was a Divine Liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica (Rome) over the tomb of St. Josaphat at the Altar of St. Basil the Great, as part of the festivities at St. Josaphat’s Pontifical Ukrainian College commemorating the 85th anniversary of its establishment and the Feast of St. Josaphat the College’s patron.
The Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis, welcomed the bishops, monks, priests and seminarians from St. Josaphat’s Seminary to celebrate the Seminary’s 85th anniversary.