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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

In eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) first of all tries to preach the word of God among the Greek Catholics and go to those who need it, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the UGCC said in an interview to Vatican Radio during his stay in Rome, where he participated in the meeting of the ROACO (Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches).

Patriarch Sviatoslav said that in each region the circumstances of the church’s existence are different.

“In eastern Ukraine, we have small parishes that need help. We go to those territories in order to meet the needs of our people who ended up there due to various circumstances and need our pastoral care,” he said.

The head of church stressed that the task of each church and the UGCC is to preach the Gospel. In Ukraine, due to many circumstances, several generations of Ukrainians do not attend church and do not identify themselves with any denomination. Therefore, the church, according to the Patriarch Sviatoslav, should go to them and convert to the faith of God.

“There is great task for all Christians. In particular, our task is to fulfill this new evangelization. It is a way to convey to the modern Ukrainian the traditional preaching of the Gospel, but perhaps in a modern, new way so that he can accept this Gospel of Christ and become a true Christian,” said the patriarch.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

18-23 June 2012

Prot.  324/2012R -- Rabweh 16 June 2012

Preamble

The grace of the Holy Spirit reunites us once more! The circle of our Synod is completed by Your Graces’ presence, dear brother Bishops, members of the Holy Synod and reverend Fathers General of our congregations, who give exemplary service to our Church in Arab countries and in emigration and expansion countries.

We are meeting for the third time (after June 2011 and February 2012) in the turmoil of these difficult events shaking our Arab world in all regions to different degrees. We feel more than ever before how deep the bond is between Arab countries among themselves and how deep ours is with them. Thus is realised what Saint Paul says, “whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.” (1 Corinthians 12: 26)

In these painful circumstances, we need light from the Holy Spirit for the success of our Holy Synod, during which we have to carry out an important, basic key task in the service and guidance of our patriarchal Church.

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Patriarch Sviatoslav was asked by journalist from the Polish news agency KAI about the relationship between the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and how to establish a dialogue between these churches.

The UGCC head has repeatedly stated that a key issue for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the dialogue with the Orthodox Church, especially with the Moscow Patriarchate, because the UGCC is not against its Orthodox brethren. As for the ROC, they always accuse the Greek Catholics that in the 90s in Western Ukraine they took churches from the Moscow Patriarchate.

In this regard, the head of the UGCC said: "Above all, we must put an end to inefficient conversations and review common strategies. If we want an agreement, then we must realize that some methods used in the past have been ineffective. For example, calls for the liquidation of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine. It is impossible, because this church exists by the will of God, which the Blessed John Paul II repeated many times.”

According to Patriarch Sviatoslav, the Moscow Patriarchate is not always based on proven historical facts: "For example, Metropolitan Hilarion several times repeated that in the 90s we took from them 500 churches in Western Ukraine. This must be the biggest obstacle for a meeting between the pope and the Patriarch of Moscow."

The head of the UGCC said that in March of this year during an audience with the pope, he gave the exact statistics of the Orthodox churches in Western Ukraine: "In those regions where, according to Metropolitan Hilarion such incidents took place, today there are more than two thousand Orthodox churches. But only two hundred of them belong to the Orthodox Church that is in communion with the Moscow Patriarchate. Other Orthodox churches in western Ukraine belong to other Orthodox Churches that Moscow does not recognize as canonical. This means that the tragedy of the Orthodox Church in Western Ukraine is not caused by our existence and our presence but by the division among the Orthodox. If the Orthodox Church were united, it would have four times as many churches than Metropolitan Hilarion says there are. And where did these two thousand churches come from? A third are Roman Catholic churches that were given to the Orthodox; another third are our churches that Stalin after World War II gave to the Orthodox, when our church was banned. The rest were built by the Orthodox. So I do not understand what the problem is. We are always open to a dialogue, as already stated my predecessor, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, and do not forbid anyone to build a church or belong to this or that religion. We demand only justice and recognition of our right to exist. "

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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Christ is among us! He is and always will be!

The Catholic Bishops of the United States have called for a Fortnight for Freedom, a two-week period of prayer, fasting, and public action in support of religious freedom in our country. Beginning on 21 June and ending on the 4th of July—American Independence Day—we are calling upon American Catholics and all people of goodwill to defend and protect religious liberty—the first and most cherished freedom of our Bill of Rights. What we ask, and what all Americans should ask, is nothing more than that our God-given right to religious liberty be respected. We ask nothing less than that our Constitution and the laws of the United States, which recognize that right, be respected.

As Melkite Catholics, sadly we are not strangers to the persecution of our Church in the lands from which we have come, or to the experience of being reduced to the status of second-class citizens because of our Christian faith. How many of our people have come to America precisely for the freedom to practice their faith! This experience should stir us to a robust and unrelenting defense of our right as Americans to religious freedom and conscience protection. In America, religious liberty has been something we have taken for granted. However, today, in this country, our precious right to freedom of religion is under attack by members of the very government sworn to defend it. This is a decisive moment in America. That is why the Catholic Bishops of the United States are committed to focusing “all the energies the Catholic community can muster” on the defense of religious liberty.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

On June 12, 2012, Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the UGCC, arrived in Ireland. During his pastoral visit, the head of the UGCC will attend the International Eucharistic Congress and visit the parish of Blessed Mykolai Charnetsky in Dublin.

The Primate of the UGCC was met at the airport by Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Exarch for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Great Britain and Apostolic Visitor for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Ireland, Fr. Vasyl Kornitsky, children, and representatives of the Greek Catholic community.

During his visit to Ireland, Patriarch Sviatoslav will lead the Divine Liturgy on Saturday, June 16, and Sunday, June 17, in the parish of Blessed Nicholas Charnetskyj. Also on Sunday he will attend the final Mass of the Eucharistic Congress at the stadium in Dublin, reports the UGCC Information Department. A sexy Asian sensual porn decided to have a little fun with her boyfriend and made a hardcore sex in the BDSM style in front of the camera.

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Damascus, 2 June 2012

In the ancient Eastern tradition of the Church, after Pentecost in June is observed the Fast (or period of abstinence) of the Twelve Apostles, chief among whom are Peter and Paul, whom the Church in East and West alike commemorates on 29 June.

This fast (or period of abstinence) begins this year on Monday June 4 and ends on June 28.

We issued a call to fasting and prayer at the beginning of the tragic, bloody events experienced by our dear country, Syria.

Now after the escalation of violence, especially the widespread series of assassinations and kidnappings for ransom that has affected a great many members of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and others, especially in Homs, we ask all the children of our patriarchal Eparchy of Damascus to keep the fast as much as possible and say special prayers every day at home and in church if possible, as many have already done during the Marian month.        

This is our response to the painful events that have caused weeping and heartbreak, implanting terrifying images in the souls of the elderly and young and provoking hatred and vengeance.