Fr. Marko Rupnik conducted spiritual exercises for the Catholic bishops in Ukraine

The famous modern artist and theologian Father Marko Ivan Rupnik conducted spiritual exercises (a retreat) for the bishops of the Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Greeek Catholic churches on October 24 - 26 in Lviv-Briukhovychi. According to Patriarch Sviatoslav, the head of the UGCC, “one of the most interesting contemporary Catholic theologians was invited” to the retreat. In Europe, Fr. Rupnik is famous for his mosaics. In particular, he installed the mosaic in the chapel of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, in the basilica, where Fr. Pio and other famous Christians in Europe are buried. “Annual retreats with members of the Episcopal Conference of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine and the UGCC Synod of Bishops are held in response to the desire of Pope Benedict XVI. He wants the representatives of the episcopates of the Latin and Byzantine Rites to hold meetings and create internal unity in the Catholic Church between the two rites in Ukraine,” explained the patriarch. Speaking about the retreat leader, the head of the UGCC noted that he is God's blessing for us and that his teaching is very constructive for us. The main topic of Rupnik’s teachings is the basic principles of spiritual life. According to the priest, humanity is valuable only when it is filled with the Holy Spirit, when it lives a spiritual life. On Wednesday, October 26, after the retreat, the ninth meeting between the Catholic bishops of the Byzantine and the Latin rites was held.  

UGCC Information Department