Turning the pages back... November 12, 1979 (11/07/99)

Turning the pages back...

November 12, 1979

Twenty years ago, on November 12, 1979, in a historic ceremony at the Sistine Chapel, Pope John Paul II, Cardinal Josyf Slipyj and Archbishop-Metropolitan Maxim Hermaniuk elevated the Rt. Rev. Prelate Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky to the rank of archbishop in the Ukrainian Catholic Church. The ceremony marked the first time that a Ukrainian Byzantine-rite Catholic divine liturgy was celebrated in the famous 15th century chapel of the popes.

Archbishop Lubachivsky, the highest ranking Ukrainian Catholic hierarch in the United States, was to assume the office of metropolitan of the Philadelphia Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, a post left vacant following the death of Archbishop-Metropolitan Joseph Schmondiuk in December 1978.

The historic ceremony was described by The Weekly as follows.

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The act of consecration was consummated by Pope John Paul II together with Patriarch Josyf, head of the "Pomisna" (Particular) Ukrainian Catholic Church, and Archbishop Hermaniuk, metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada. Concelebrants during the service were Bishops Jaroslav Gabro of Chicago, Basil Losten of Stamford, Conn., Augustine Hornyak of Great Britain and Platon V. Kornyljak of Germany. Bishop Miroslav Marusyn, apostolic visitator for Ukrainian Catholics in Western Europe, directed the ceremony.

Msgr. Robert Moskal, chancellor of the Philadelphia Archeparchy and the Very Rev. Sophronius Mudryj of the St. Josaphat Seminary served as deacons. Also participating in the service were Msgr. G. Mylanyk, Msgr. Stephen Chehansky and the Very Revs. Joseph Fedorek, Anthony Borsa and Stephen Sulyk. Present inside the Sistine Chapel were 10 cardinals, 16 Latin rite bishops, as well as Ukrainian priests, monks, nuns and faithful, some of whom came from the United States to be present at the consecration. Responses were sung by a choir composed of seminarians and invited women.

As the pope, the co-consecrators, the concelebrants and the metropolitan-designate entered the Sistine Chapel, the clergy and faithful that filled to capacity the house of worship rose to their feet and the choir intoned "Dostoino Yest." After the singing of "Mnohaya Lita" and the "Creed," the Byzantine-rite liturgy in Church Slavonic began. The blessings were alternately sung by Pope John Paul II, Patriarch Josyf and Metropolitan Hermaniuk.

The act of consecration was conducted before the "Sviatyi Bozhe" prayer. Until that time, the area in front of the altar was occupied by Pope John Paul, who stood in the first row with Patriarch Josyf on his right and Metropolitan Hermaniuk on his left; behind them stood Archbishop Lubachivsky with Bishop Losten on his left, Bishop Gabro on his right.

Pope John Paul initiated the act of consecration. Archbishop Lubachivsky first recited the "Creed" and other vows before he approached his consecrators. After a series of prayers and responses, Pope John concluded the consecration with a longer blessing-prayer and by presenting Archbishop Lubachivsky with the symbols of his office.

After the presentation of each of the symbols, the consecrators intoned and the choir responded "Axios, axios, axios" [he is worthy]. At the conclusion of the consecration. Archbishop Lubachivsky exchanged the kiss of peace with his consecrators and all of the Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian hierarchs present in the chapel. The choir simultaneously sang a hymn dedicated to St. Josaphat. For the remainder of the liturgy, Archbishop Lubachivsky, who took his place between the pope and Metropolitan Hermaniuk, assumed the role of concelebrant.

In his sermon delivered in Ukrainian after the Gospel, Pope John Paul told the new archbishop that he is part of two heritages and that when he returns to his Metropolitan See he should convey the papal greetings to his faithful.

The holy father said he is "greatly moved" to be able to stand before the Catholic hierarchs and to consecrate the new archbishop. Pope John Paul said that his visit to the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in Philadelphia provoked him to lead the consecration. The pope directed a substantial portion of his sermon to Patriarch Josyf, whom he called "the highest placed pastor."

The pope spoke about the 85-year-old patriarch's suffering in defense of the Catholic Church and reminded him that Pope Pius XII assigned him to the Lviv Archeparchy, that Pope John XXIII greatly contributed to his release from incarceration and that Pope Paul VI elevated him to the rank of cardinal. He said he is "closely familiar" with the history of the Ukrainian people and with the history of their Church "bound with them for long centuries."

Source: "Pope John Paul, Patriarch Josyf, Metropolitan Hermaniuk consecrate Msgr. Lubachivsky in Sistine Chapel," The Ukrainian Weekly, November 18, 1979.

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