THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS BEGINS IN PEREMYSHL

July 6, 2022

THE 2022 GATHERING OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS OF THE UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

The 2022 annual convocation of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church began today just across Ukraine's Border in Peremyshl, Poland. The Bishops from Ukraine and around the world are being hosted at a local seminary complex in the City of Peremyshyl which is also the Archeparchial see of the Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan in Poland. The Synod does occasionally meet outside Ukraine in parts of the world where the hierarchy of the largest Eastern Catholic Church has been established. This year, however, safety for the event was also a factor as Russia's war on Ukraine continues to threaten the entire country.

Perhaps reflecting the circumstances of the times, the bishops will be joining millions of refugees from Ukraine that have fled to Poland to escape the death and destruction of the war.

The Bishops will discuss a number of matters and decide upon the best response to various challenges that the Church faces globally, as they do each year. However, the primary topic this year will be the pastoral care for the millions of their faithful who have seen their world brutally turned upside down. The Ukrainian Catholic Church has rallied around the world to gather and provide humanitarian aid to their devastated people in Ukraine and in trying to aid the estimated 9 million refugees that have fled Ukraine and the over 6 million displaced within the country itself.

The Secretariat of the Synod may issue reports during the Synod sessions over the next 9 days, but there will certainly be a communique at the end as well as the publication of the resolutions and decrees.

On the eve of their gathering, the Bishops began with a Prayer of Invocation of the Holy Spirit. In the course of the evening there also took place the enthroning of the Word of God in the Synod Chamber and each of the Bishops made an oath of confidentiality and especially to fulfil their synodal duties as the chosen shepherds of the People of God.

On the Sunday before the Synod, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, asked the faithful to pray for the success of the Synod as it is of profound significance for the whole Church. He said, "Pray for your bishops, that the Synod would truly be a moment of renewal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, a new Pentecost for our Church, so that together as one Body of Christ we can serve our people and our country, which are suffering from Russian military aggression. Pray that later our bishops in different parts of the world will speak with one voice to the conscience of the citizens of the world, and that the global Ukrainian community will serve Ukraine with one heart and one voice, which is now in special need of support. The Synod is an event not only for bishops. The Synod is an event of our entire Church. This is the time when we all experience conciliarity, and experience that our Church is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. Consequently, by this spirit of Pentecost, we continue to live in the modern world."

See the Synod's website [HERE] for more information and photos.

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