The ninth edition of “Blahovisnyk”

Recently the ninth edition of “Blahovisnyk [Good News] of Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych His Beatitude Lubomyr Patriarch Husar” was published. The publication includes all the most important documents of the life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for 2009. The publication was founded by Patriarch Joseph Slipyj and later supported by Myroslav Ivan (Liubachivskyj). From 1965 to 1988 “Blahovisnyk” appeared annually and sometimes a few times a year. After the fall of the USSR and the declaration of Ukraine’s independence, the publication discontinued. In 2001, however, the good tradition of informing the faithful of the UGCC about the life and activity of the church resumed. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church proclaimed 2009 as the year of vocation with special emphasis on vocation to priesthood. Accordingly, the ninth edition of “Blahovisnyk” contains many materials devoted to this subject. There is even a Message of the Holy Father on the proclamation of year of priesthood in connection with the 150^th anniversary of the death of pastor from Arsa Jean Mari Vianney. Overall, the structure of the chronicle has remained the basically the same. It contains five large chapters and a few smaller subdivisions for better orientation, in particular: “Documents of the Apostolic Capital” – messages of Pope Benedict XVI that relate either directly or indirectly to the UGCC; “Documents of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC” – decrees, decisions, messages; “Documents of Major Archbishop UGCC” – deeds, decrees, correspondences, sermons, addresses, and appeals; “Documents of the Synod of Bishops”; “Documents of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.” The material is organized chronologically. The size of each edition of “Blahovisnyk” varies for it depends on the amount of collected documents and on the events that took place that year in the church and country. In addition to text, the book contains colored photographs. The latest edition has 280 pages. It will be available in most eparchies of the UGCC. In particular, it can be found in the bookstore on St. George’s Mount in Lviv. It will also be available in regional state and academic libraries. “Compiling ‘Blagovisnyk’ is interesting and diverse work because some of the documents are ready and signed. Others require work in the translation and the creation of new reports, like, for example, in the chapters ‘Documents of the Apostolic Capital’ and ‘Chronicle of events’ accordingly. The edition is intended first of all for theologians – bishops, priests, and seminarians. ‘Blahovisnyk,’ however, has considerable popularity among members of the laity who want to know and read the word of the church,” says the manager and editor of the texts Mrs. Iryna Golota Materials for the next “Blagovisnyk” are already being prepared. It will be a special tenth anniversary edition.

Information Department of the UGCC