Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk receives honorary doctorate (Honoris Causa) at Fordham University in USA

His Beatitude Sviatoslav on November 20, 2011, received an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) at the Fordham University in the USA. On the same day in the University Church the coat-of-arms of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Major Archbishop Emeritus, was unveiled and blessed. The blessing was read by the UGCC primate and Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan, President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “This honorary doctorate is a reward not for me but for my church of martyrs,” said the head of the UGCC at the ceremony. “It is a service I borrowed from my predecessors and carry out as head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Despite all the hatred and humiliation it encountered, it remained a true Church of the Risen Christ. It is this church that sent me to you today, and especially for it, for its Christian wisdom and intellectual life, this award is being conferred.” At the ceremony, the following words were said about the primate: “Cherishing the dream of his glorious predecessors and being elected to implement his own vision of the church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav is responsible for the pastoral care of the souls of the faithful of the church, which has more than 5.5 million believers worldwide. This dynamic young leader has made extremely important steps to strengthen his flock in the world. He continues to use pastoral visits, social media and sermons to spread his message of unity in faith. The vision of His Beatitude truly inspires.” Founded in 1841, Fordham is a Jesuit University in New York that offers education, typical of the Jesuit tradition, to about 14,700 students. Many famous figures have received honorary doctorates from the university, such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, American diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello who died in Iraq, and Tom Brokaw, former host of NBS Nightly News.  

UGCC Information Department