DECREE
Prot. ВА 25/157 ENG
To the glory of the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-creating, and Undivided Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and for the good of the People of God entrusted to us. Amen.
BY DIVINE GRACE AND IN FULL COMMUNION WITH THE ROMAN APOSTOLIC SEE
SVIATOSLAV, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
To the Most Reverend Archbishops and Bishops, Reverend clergy, venerable monks and nuns, and the laity of the particular Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church:
I DECLARE AND PROMULGATE
The Resolutions of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Rome, June 30 – July 10, 2025
To take note of the state of implementation regarding the decisions of the 2024 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
To adopt in the first reading the Title “Social Ministry” of the Code of Canons of the UGCC.
To approve the UGCC Pro-Family Policy Strategy.
To implement appropriate pastoral care for the family under the conditions of war:
I. At the church-wide level:
To entrust the Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC for Family and Laity Affairs with:
developing a program to support priestly families, in cooperation with the Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC for Clergy Affairs;
continuing to conduct educational and practical seminars in eparchies and exarchates regarding the implementation of the UGCC Pro-Family Policy Strategy, taking into account accumulated experience;
holding a scholarly and practical national conference dedicated to pro-family and demographic policy issues in Ukraine;
developing a plan to disseminate the teaching of the Catholic Church on the family, particularly using modern means of communication;
systematizing and publishing existing strategies, programs, and materials on family ministry on the official media platforms of the UGCC.
II. At the eparchial level:
To ask the eparchial bishops to:
adapt the UGCC Pro-Family Policy Strategy to the needs and current challenges of local eparchies and exarchates;
in accordance with Resolution No. 10 of the 2014 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, develop—where this has not yet been done—an Eparchial Program course for immediate preparation to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony, necessarily covering the following topics: kerygmatic proclamation on the value and beauty of Christian marriage; the theology of the Sacrament of Matrimony; the psychology of marriage; bioethical aspects of marriage; the gift of fertility and responsible parenthood; and canonical and civil law regarding marriage;
establish Family Centers, providing them with appropriate staffing and material resources;
in accordance with Resolution No. 10 of the 2014 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, conduct family-themed pilgrimages, retreats, and seminars to deepen the spiritual life of family members, as well as to foster and popularize family values in society;
establish and comprehensively support eparchial pro-family movements, organizations, and communities, ensuring their proper ecclesial formation, particularly through the approval of Statutes by competent church authorities;
ensure the protection and promotion of family values in cooperation with public authorities at various levels;
provide spiritual accompaniment and humanitarian support to particularly vulnerable and struggling families, specifically to those affected by the war, families of fallen defenders, widows and orphans, the lonely, internally displaced persons, the elderly, etc.;
in accordance with Resolution No. 26 of the 2016 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, provide proper spiritual accompaniment and support to priestly families, paying special attention to the wives of priests who have fallen asleep in the Lord, and to their minor or dependent children;
in accordance with Resolution No. 5. XIII, paragraph 1 of the 2022 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, encourage and support initiatives aimed at caring for war orphans, as well as the adoption of children who have lost their parents as a result of the war;
establish and develop cooperation with institutions that work for the benefit of the Ukrainian family both in Ukraine and abroad.
III. At the parish level:
To entrust parish clergy with:
ensuring, in accordance with Resolution No. 10 of the 2014 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC and Resolution No. 5. XIII of the 2022 Synod of Bishops, the proper preparation of the bride and groom for the Sacrament of Marriage through appropriate courses, which are mandatory prerequisites for its celebration, and providing spiritual accompaniment throughout this preparation;
establishing, in parishes, church-approved married-couple communities and family movements dedicated to supporting married couples and families, and promoting their more active participation in parish life;
in accordance with Resolution No. 5. XIII of the 2022 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, paying special attention to the spiritual accompaniment of married couples in the first years of married life, as well as families experiencing difficulties or crises;
developing pastoral care, in the light of the Gospel and the Magisterium of the Church, for divorced persons living in new family relationships;
organizing summer camps for married couples and families, as well as retreat encounters dedicated to the spirituality of Christian marriage and the Christian family;
in accordance with Resolution No. 5. XIII, paragraph 2 of the 2022 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, showing special care and pastoral attention to the families of defenders, the deceased, those missing in action, prisoners of war, and military veterans, as well as to widows and orphans, internally displaced persons, the elderly, and people with special needs;
conducting pastoral visits at Christmas time and divine services on the occasion of anniversaries of the Sacrament of Marriage, anniversaries of married life, etc., as an effective means of spiritual accompaniment for families;
seeking ways to involve mixed-marriage couples in a more active church life;
introducing—where this has not yet been done—family catechization, particularly the catechization of parents and godparents within the framework of preparation for the Sacraments of Baptism and Chrismation of their children, as well as the preparation of children for first Confession and solemn Holy Communion;
using various opportunities during the liturgical year to preach the teaching of the Gospel and the teaching of the Catholic Church on the Christian family as “an unquenchable hearth of life and health of the Church and the People” (Patriarch Josyf’s Testament);
conducting, on the occasion of family celebrations and anniversaries of married life, appropriate divine services and offering sermons of instruction on the beauty and value of Christian marriage;
organizing family pilgrimages to prominent spiritual centers of the UGCC in Ukraine and abroad.
To take note of the work of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC on updating the text of the Archieratikon, and to ask members of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC to submit their comments on this text by October 15, A.D. 2025.
To take note of the work of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC on updating the Book of Needs (Trebnyk) and to bless it for further work.
To take note of the work of the working group of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC and representatives of the Order of St. Basil the Great on updating the text of the Divine Office (Molytvoslov) and to bless the continuation of this work.
To give consent to the Father and Head of the UGCC to approve the Ukrainian text of the Book of Needs (Trebnyk) with the services of the Great Exorcism.
To take note of the report of the General Director of the Administration of Justice of the UGCC on the state of judicial proceedings in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
To adopt in the second reading, with amendments and proposals, the Code of Canons of the UGCC.
To create a synodal working group to finalize the Code of Canons of the UGCC with the following composition: Metropolitan Eugeniusz Popowicz (head of the working group), Metropolitan Teodor Martynyuk, Bishop Włodzimierz Juszczak, Bishop David Motiuk, Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy, Bishop Andriy Rabiy, Bishop Michael Kwiatkowski, and Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh.
To take note of the report on the activities of the Andrew’s Pence Fund.
To take note of the report on the activities of the Missionary Fund of the UGCC.
To take note of the report on the activities of the Church-wide Priestly Solidarity Fund.
To take note of the report on the activities of the Patriarchal Foundation of the UGCC “Wise Deed” (Mudra Sprava).
To take note of the report on the construction of the Patriarchal Center in Kyiv.
To express gratitude for the dedicated and competent service of the Patriarchal Finance Officer (Ekonom) and all staff members of the Finance Office (Ekonomat) of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC.
To take note of the state of implementation of the Synodal Path of the Catholic Church in the UGCC.
To take note of the reports on the status of pastoral ministry in the metropolias and regions of the UGCC.
To take note of the report on the response of the UGCC to the challenges caused by the war in the area of social ministry.
To take note of the report on the activities of the International Charitable Fund “Caritas Ukraine.”
To take note of the report on the activities and mission of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
To approve the opening of the beatification process for Father Teodor Malko.
To approve the opening of the beatification process for Father Dr. Stanislav Syarok.
To proclaim Blessed Sister Josaphata Hordashevska the patroness of catechists of the UGCC.
To take note of the report on the activities of the Pastoral Council of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC.
In accordance with Resolution No. 40 of the 2022 Synod of Bishops, to continue for the next three-year period the implementation of the Pastoral Plan “The Hope to Which the Lord Calls Us”, focusing on: 1) closeness to the poor, marginalized, refugees, and war victims; 2) the healing of wounds; and 3) the Christian family.
To take note of the summary reports of patriarchal-level commissions and departments for the past year.
To take note of the postulator’s report on the beatification process of the venerable Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky.
To take note of the report of the head of the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization.
To take note of the report of the head of the Patriarchal Commission for Youth.
To take note of the report on the celebration of the 2025 Jubilee Year in the UGCC, and express gratitude to Bishop Yaroslav Pryriz and the members of the Organizing Committee for their work.
To take note of the activities report of the working group formed of experts of the UGCC and representatives of the State Secretariat and dicasteries of the Roman Curia.
To adopt as a basis, with proposed amendments, the draft text of the post-synodal pastoral letter on the main topic, and to entrust its final revision to the Permanent Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
To hold the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in July 2026.
To determine the main topic of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2026 as “Fostering Vocations to the Priesthood and Monastic Life.” To entrust responsibility for the preparation of the main topic to His Excellency Bishop Bohdan Danylo, Chair of the Patriarchal Commission for Clergy Affairs, and His Excellency Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy, Chair of the Patriarchal Commission for Monastic Affairs of the UGCC.
To approve the Communiqué of the 2025 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
† SVIATOSLAV, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
† ANDRIY KHIMYAK, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Given in Kyiv, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, on the day of the Holy Martyrs Proclus and Hilary, and of our Venerable Father Michael of Maleon, on the 12th day of July in the year of our Lord 2025.