Patriarch Lubomyr: ‘We are not looking for conventional solutions, but a way which the Lord God would want us to go’

On November 14, with a thanksgiving liturgy in the Annunciation of the Holy Mother Cathedral in Kyiv, the Congress of the Laity of Central, Eastern, and Southern Ukraine came to an end. The congress was attended by representatives and exarches of the Kyiv Archeparchy, the Donetsk-Kharkiv Exarchate, the Odesa-Crimea Exarchate, and the Lutsk Exarchate, as well as Patriarch Lubomyr, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The purpose of the congress was for laity to learn about their tasks in the life of the church and reflect together on how they can best fulfill them in the specific circumstances of existence and life of the church in the eastern regions of Ukraine. In his sermon, Patriarch Lubomyr noted: "We have gathered together in order to reflect where we should continue to move, how our church should develop in these regions of Ukraine. Considering this, we tried to draw up a ‘roadmap’ that is to lead the way. It was not an organizational or structural meeting. We are not looking for conventional solutions, but a way which the Lord God would want us to go. This is an assembly of believers, the church, consisting of bishops, priest, and laity. We planned, maybe not perfectly, how we can fulfill God’s will in our circumstances." In addition, the head of the UGCC, drawing attention to the Gospel, said: "We heard today the question of the teacher of law: What shall I do? We tried to reflect on it in the circumstances our lives. We charted the way, but now is key moment. Jesus Christ, when he explained to the teacher of law who is his neighbors are, he told him what he must do to reach the Kingdom of God. Today, in a special way, I address the lay participants in the name of Jesus Christ to go, and what we have worked on will be fulfilled.” The congress concluded with the blessing of His Beatitude Lubomyr and a festive dinner.

Information Department of the UGCC