Ukrainian Catholic Church concludes Sobor and Synod in Lviv (10/04/98)

Ukrainian Catholic Church concludes Sobor and Synod in Lviv

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - During the period of August 23 through September 10, both a Sobor and Synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church were held in Lviv, the metropolitan see of the Church in Ukraine.

According to information released by the office of Major Archbishop and Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, the goal of the Second Patriarchal Sobor (Council) during the week of August 23-30 was to focus on the role of the laity in the life of the Church.

More than 170 delegates from 12 countries representing each of the 24 eparchies and exarchates of the Church, as well as more than 40 representatives of religious organizations, publications, educational institutions and other guests attended the Sobor.

The plenary sessions of the Sobor were held on the premises of Lviv State Polytechnic University. At the opening of the Sobor, greetings were read from the Lviv Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church, the Lviv Eparchy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate, and from the apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, Cardinal Antonio Franco, who came midway through the Sobor and brought the blessing of Pope John Paul II.

The delegates to the Sobor voted that its final document, "The Place and Role of the Faithful in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church" be published no later than March 1999. Materials will be submitted to the Permanent Synod of Bishops for their comments in December 1998 and for final approval by the Permanent Synod by March 1999.

The Sobor is an advisory body of the Church comprising clergy and laity. This was the second session of a five-part Patriarchal Sobor designed to take place over several years. The third session is scheduled for the year 2001 on the topic "Social Teachings of the Catholic Church and their Realization."

The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, a began its conclave on September 1 at which "the place of our sui juris Church in the Universal Church and its role as a sister Church in the family of sui juris Churches" was to be the main topic of deliberations, according to the office of the major archbishop. Five reports concerning the historical, theological, canonical, liturgical and ecumenical aspects of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the identity of the Church, its role and purposes were discussed by the approximately 40 hierarchs attending.

The Synod convened at the monastery of the Basilian Fathers in Krekhiv, outside of Lviv. Of the 38 resolutions accepted by the Synod, none made reference to the request of March 4, from the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, that Ukrainian Catholic married priests must not serve in Poland. [Cardinal Sodano visited Kyiv in June for the opening of the Apostolic Nunciature and later met in Lviv with Bishop Lubomyr Husar, auxiliary to the major archbishop and chief administrator of the Church.]

Both the Sobor and the Synod discussed the types and venues of events planned by the Church for the celebration of the second millennium of Christianity in the year 2000.

According to Bishop Husar, the Ukrainian Catholic Church will participate in three events in Rome in the year 2000: in May, at the celebration of the Day of Martyrs, a veneration of those persecuted in the 20th century for their faith; in the summer, during which Ukrainian youth will participate in the World Youth Congress; and on October 1, at the Church of St. Mary at Minerva, where a divine liturgy will be concelebrated by bishops of Byzantine-rite Catholic Churches. Other events will take place in Ukraine, including the Assembly of Ukrainian Youth, dedicated to the 2,000th anniversary of Christianity and to be held in Kyiv.

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