“The Catholic Church has great expectations for the development of the UGCC,” Bishop Bohdan (Dzyurakh)

Pope Benedict XVI in a letter to Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar) on the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of the Lviv pseudo-synod declared that the Catholic Church has great expectations for the development of the UGCC. Bishop Bohdan (Dzyurakh), the head of the Administration of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC expressed this in an interview for the magazine “Patriarchate.” In addition, according to the bishop, the Holy Father sees the double vocation of the UGCC: on the one hand, to preserve in all of its purity and fullness the tradition of Eastern Christianity in the bosom of the Catholic Church, and on the other hand, to be a bridge for unity between the churches of Eastern and Western tradition.” As the head of the patriarchal administration noted, “during the stay of bishops of the UGCC in Rome at the beginning of 2008, on the occasion of the ad limina visit, the bishops of the UGCC saw the willingness of pontifical institutions to cooperate with our church for its development. Archbishop Ivan Yurkovych, the papal nuncio in Ukraine, provides a direct connection between our church and Rome.” “Experience shows that nothing helps for better understanding and for solving various, sometimes serious, questions as the direct contact with the reality of the Ukrainian church. Therefore we try to invite annually the representatives of the Western Church to Ukraine, in particular for the all-Ukrainian pilgrimage to Zarvanytsya. General prayer and brotherly meetings strengthen the connections of faith and love between our churches,” the bishop remarked. “The Apostolic Capital watches for the development of our structures in Ukraine and abroad and actively participates in this process – in accordance with the church’s legislation,” concluded Bishop Bohdan.  The interview of Bishop Bohdan (Dzyurakha) for the “Patriarchate” is available at the following website: www.ugcc.org.ua/1210.0.html?&L=0.

Information Department of the UGCC