www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News New Bishop Named for Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton

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WINNIPEG- His Holiness Benedict XVI today named Most Rev, David MOTIUK, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg, as Bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton.

�I am grateful to the Holy Father and the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church for the confidence instilled in me in appointing me as the fifth Bishop of the Eparchy of Edmonton,� said His Excellency Bishop David, �and I look forward to serving the Ukrainian Catholic faithful in Alberta.�

The installation of Bishop David is tentatively scheduled to take place at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 24, 2007 at St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic Church, Edmonton, Alberta, by His Grace Lawrence Huculak, osbm, Metropolitan-Archbishop of Winnipeg, in the presence of His Grace, Archbishop Luigi Ventura, Apostolic Nuncio to Canada.

�For the past five years, I have been privileged to journey spiritually with the faithful of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg as an auxiliary bishop. During this time, I have been impressed by the laity�s strong faith in God and dedication to the mission of the Church. I have delighted in the close collaboration and friendship of the clergy and religious. I am particularly grateful to His Grace, Metropolitan Michael Bzdel, cssr, and His Grace, Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, osbm, for their mentorship and support. I love them all!�

Bishop David was born on January 13, 1962 in Vegreville, Alberta and was ordained to the priesthood on August 21, 1988 for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton. He served in several parishes in Alberta following his ordination and was associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Josaphat in Edmonton. Bishop David completed a licentiate in canon law at Saint Paul University in Ottawa and obtained a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome. He was Rector of Holy Spirit Ukrainian Catholic Seminary in Ottawa from 1996 to 2001. On June 11, 2002 in Edmonton, Bishop David was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archeparchy of Winnipeg and Titular Bishop of Mathara in Numidia.

�As I begin a new chapter in my life, I look forward to the challenge of shepherding the Church. Yet, I do so with some trepidation. You see, as an auxiliary bishop in Winnipeg, the final decision concerning a given matter did not rest with me, but rather with the Metropolitan Michael, and more recently with Metropolitan Lawrence. Things will be different in Edmonton. Yet, I am confident that the advice of the gifted clergy, religious and laity will guide me in my new role.

�Naturally, as a native Albertan, I look forward to returning �home� to reconnecting with family and friends and to revisit some of my childhood memories. At the same time, I recognize that many things have changed over the years; I plan to take the necessary time, especially where they concern my episcopal ministry, to take stock, to listen, and to re-familiarize myself with life in the Church in Edmonton and throughout the province.

�I look forward with great joy to the spiritual re-awakening that is taking place all around us. It�s an exciting time to be alive!�

Bishop David has published several journal articles and authored the book, Eastern Christians in the New World: An Historical and Canonical Study of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Canada, published by the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies and the Faculty of Canon Law at Saint Paul University, Ottawa in 2005. He has also been a member of the senate of Newman Theological College in Edmonton, and a consultor with the Episcopal Commission for Canon Law/Inter-Rite of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. Currently, he is a consultor with the Episcopal Commission for Theology.

The Eparchy of Edmonton has a Ukrainian Catholic population of 28,750, 87 parishes and missions, 39 diocesan and religious priests, 4 deacons, and 30 women religious.

No beard?

May God grant his servant Bishop David many years!

Ray,

Could you offer his grace a prayer before you start on the "no beard? i.e. he is not Eastern enough" nonsense?

Fr. Deacon Lance

Dear Father Deacon Lance,

He doesn't look old enough to have a beard!

Thank you for defending our Ukrainian bishop!

That doesn't always happen from Ruthenian quarters, you know . . .

Many years, Vladyko!

Alex

Sounds like a good man.

Where in the bible or tradition does it say that clergy must have beards?

I'm really curious about this.

I guess people think it looks "more eastern" but this can't be the mind of Christ, who never instituted a precept to the likes of "if you wish to follow me, take up your cross, and grow a beard."

Before every one provides all the quotes (not from the Bible), I will just comment that we do not have to become fundamentalists.
Also, let's remember thw "Travels of Paul of Allepo" who traveled with his uncle, the patriarch of Antioch up through Romania, Ukraine and to Moscow in the 17th century. In his cultural tradition, men shaved their heads as he states "for cleanliness" and also he mentions the differences between the Ukrainian Orthodox clergy and the Russian Orthodoc clergy. The Ukrainian Orthodox clergy did shave their beards.
Thus, even within Orthodoxy there is cultural diversity.

Many years to His servant, Bishop David!

I think beards serve a symbolic purpose - they signify the fulness of fatherhood, which the bishop possesses as the anthropological icon of God's Fatherhood in the Church. I think it is ideal that bishops and priests NOT be cleanshaven (although neatly trimmed is sometimes nice). Such tradition antedates Christian revelation.

Not to mention the fact that Jesus Christ had a beard, especially if you believe in the veracity of the Shroud and traditional icons.

Gordo

Axios! Axios! Axios! to His Grace, Vladyka David!

and yes, while he does not have a physical beard; if you knew him and his ministry, you would find him Plenty Eastern! So he definitely has a "spiritual" beard or an "unseen" beard.

Axios!

Herb

What is it about a beard that "signifies fullness of fatherhood"?

If Orthodoxy demands a beard from clergy, then Orthodoxy cannot be universal (Catholic), since beard growth is not possible for some races and nations (American natives, some Africans, some Asians, some northern Europeans).

I do not want to cause offence, but that is probably unavoidable here. The notion that Jesus Christ had a beard, and therefore, this should be imitated by his apostles and disciples, is to dwell on the insignificant. Jesus also spoke Aramaic, but speaking Aramaic is not a requirement for church leadership.

Come on guys, I want to hear it again: Bishop David is "latinized!" because:

1. he does not have a beard;
2. he wears a "Roman collar"; and
3. he was appointed by the Pope (of Rome) and not by HB Cardnial Husar!

Tony,

Interestingly enough my wife and I just went round and round on this in a lively and fun discussion. (My son said he was going to write a report for homeschooling on "Pointless Arguments"! )

Your question about what it is in the nature of a beard that signifies "fatherhood" is a good one. I suppose Alex's reaction to the good Bishop's photo offers a window into it. A cleanshaven, beardless face generally represents to us youth, innocence and, to a certain extent, inexperience. Since a beard can only be grown after crossing the threshold into manhood and indicates man's potential for fatherhood, I believe that culturally the two are intimately linked. The longer the beard, generally speaking, the longer the life. The gray and white symbolizes acquired wisdom and experience. These are natural symbols, but we should not just treat them as pure externals. Again, man is an anthropological icon. His body has meaning and points to eternal realities.

The fact that Jesus had a beard should not be regarded as purely an anciliary point. The beard in Jewish culture had similar meaning. He was a Rabbi, a Teacher - He was also God's eternal Son and His icon - "He who has seen me has seen the Father!". A beardless Jesus would have not fully conveyed iconographically the connection to the Fatherhood of God. Nothing He did was insignificant. That does not men we need to slavishly imitate Him, but it doesn't mean that we reduce even small things into "so what?". They all have meaning.

As to whether or not Orthodoxy "demands" a beard, to the best of my knowledge it does not. Nor does it demand that a priest wear all of his vestments when celebrating Divine Liturgy for it to be a "valid" liturgy. But would anyone say that a vestmentless priest celebrating the Liturgy represents the fullness, not only of tradition, but of his iconic role in the community? The vestments mean something. The beard means something. It symbolizes his fatherhood in the Family of God.

With that said, what does it say about beardless priests...are they less of a priest? Not at all!!! Are bearded priests and bishops somehow "better" in their ministry than beardless ones? Hardly! But a bishop and a priest with a beard more perfectly symbolizes fatherhood (much like a beardless Saint Nicholas would NOT feel like the same "Father Christmas!") There is nothing wrong with making that connection to fatherhood.

As to races where beards cannot be grown (or grown successfully) my sense is that other symbols of fatherhood and wisdom were created.

Just my two cents...

Gordo

Now if beards symbolize fatherhood and maturity, does anyone want to guess what male baldness symbolizes?

Just kidding.

Too much experience and too many kids?!

Gordo

An Indian Beard:
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