“Having pronounced the Year of Faith, You -- in your humble act -- gave all of us an incredible lesson in faith,” UGCC Head to Pope Benedict XVI

With great sadness and emotion, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church accepted the news of Your relinquishing of the throne of Roman Pope Benedict XVI, stated UGCC Head, His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) in his letter.

“On the one hand we feel abandoned, since in Your Person the faithful of our Church always saw a Father of the Church – a Father who often turned with a fatherly word to our people in their native language on many occasions of events at the Apostolic Sea.  On the other hand, at this historical moment, we want to assure Your Holiness of our closeness and brotherly loyalty,” says the letter of UGCC Primate.

In the name of the UGCC Synod of Bishops, clergy, monastic orders and laity as well as in the name of all Ukrainians and himself, His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed a sincere thanks to the Holy Father for “courageous witnessing of faith, wise leadership of the Universal Church and for a total dedication to  Christ.”

UGCC Primate added that the faithful will always remember the epistles, lessons and sermons of the Holy Father on the correct doctrines of faith and the Christian way of living.

“In particular, we would like to thank You, Holy Father, that you so courageously preached the unalterable truth about God and human beings, defending moral values as well as sensible community and democratic values in contemporary  society,” writes His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

Also in the name of the faithful, UGCC Head thanked the Holy Father that “in a fatherly way, he was concerned about the development of our Church, giving it the necessary attention towards enabling its development both in Ukraine and abroad,” as well as for the blessing to form three new metropolitanates in Western Ukraine.

“Holy Father, having announced the Year of Faith, through your humble act, you provided all of us with an incredible lesson in faith.  Your courageous choice inspires us and encourages us to fully trust in Our Lord, who takes good care of his Church,” wrote His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

UGCC Primate expressed his wishes:  “Your Holiness, may the All-Merciful God endow You with his endless gifts and give you many more years of life, so that you can serve with your wisdom and spiritual stamina the Universal Church for many, many blessed years!”

UGCC Department of Information