“The new UGCC Catechism we also owe to Blessed John Paul II” – His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

On 24 June 2011, the Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, officially promulgated a new Catechism “Christ is our Easter”. In the presence of UGCC Bishops, priests, religious and lay people from the USA, Canada, Russia, Poland, Brazil, Serbia, Portugal and Ukraine, a 300 page document was presented, which represents theological understanding of God’s truths in the light of Kyivan Christian Tradition.   In the Pontifical Divine Liturgy in the church of the Holy Spirit in Lviv, concelebrating with His Beatitude Sviatoslav were a host of UGCC leaders. These included: Bishop Petro (Stasiuk) – Eparch for Ukrainians in Australia, New Zeland and Oceania, Bishop Benedict (Aleksiychuk) – Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv Archdiocese, Bishop Vasylij (Ivasiuk) – Exarch of Odessa-Crimea, Rev. Dmytro Hryhorak – Apostolic Administrator of Buchach Eparchy, Rev. Mykola Fredyna – Rector of Lviv Theological Seminary as well as priests from Ukraine and abroad.   “What is special about the promulgation of the UGCC Catechism is that it coincides with celebrations of the 10^th anniversary of Blessed John Paul II’s visit to Ukraine. The publication of the UGCC Catechism we also owe to him. The Holy Father was one of those who actively supported us in writing the Catechism of our local Church. So the greatest gift that we would like to present to the Pope is our Catechism” – noted His Beatitude Sviatoslav.   The UGCC Primate awarded  members of the working group with Patriarchal certificates. The group was made up of Rev. Dr. Myron Bendyk – the Head of the working group, Sister Luisa Tsyupa – the Head of the Catechetical Commission of the UGCC, Rev. Dr. Ivan Havano, Rev. Taras Barshchevskyi – secretary of the working group, Rev. Taras Koberynko – co-author of the third part of the Catechism, Dr. Mykhailo Petrovych – responsible for the second part the Catechism and Oxana Boiko.   The new UGCC Catechism presents the Church’s teaching in three parts: faith of the Church, prayer of the Church and life of the Church. In this document the UGCC transmits Christian faith in the course of its proper millenarian tradition. The Catechism also presents Church’s teaching on such issues as: artificial insemination, cloning, abortion, contraception, organ transplantation and euthanasia. It offers a Christian understanding of the State, economics, globalization, rest, private property and social justice.  

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