Sunday, March 27, 2011

Ukrainian Catholics get new primate

Ukrainian Greek Catholics get new primate

And a young one at that (40). I'll also point to this post (a unique blog I wish were update more often) for more commentary on the selection.



(RISU) - Bishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, till now the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of the Protection of the Blessed Mary in Buenos Aires, has become the new head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The Election Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which was attended by 40 bishops from Ukraine and abroad (Western Europe, USA, Canada, Brazil, Argentina and Australia), elected him on March 23. He is one of the youngest bishops in the Catholic Church, a well-known Ukrainian moral theologian.

The Holy See approved the choice of the Synod of Bishops. 

The enthronement of the new head of the UGCC will be held March 27 at 10:00 a.m. in the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.

Biography: born on May 5, 1970, in Stryi, Lviv region. 

Education: 

1991-1992 - Center for Philosophy and theological studies "Don Bosco" in Buenos Aires, Argentina

1992-1994 - Lviv Theological Seminary

1994-1995 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas (Rome, Italy). BA in Theology 

1995-1997 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas. Theological Faculty, Section of moral theology

1997-1999 - Pontifical University of Thomas Aquinas. Doctorate with Summa cum laude in theological anthropology and moral theology. 

Pastoral activity: 

1999-2000 - Prefect of the Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary

2000-2007 - vice rector of Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary

Since 2001 - vice dean of Theology Faculty of the Lviv Theological Academy (today known as the Ukrainian Catholic University)

2002-2005 - Head of Secretariat and personal secretary to His Eminence Lubomyr, head of the Patriarchal Curia in Lviv

From June 2007 - rector of the Lviv Holy Spirit Theological Seminary.

January 14, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI blessed the decision of the Synod of Bishops on the appointment of Father Sviatoslav Shevchuk as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of the Holy Virgin in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Bishop Sviatoslav was ordained as bishop on April 7, 2009, in Lviv.