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| Patriarch Sviatoslav, the Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, with the Papal Nuncio to the Republic of Ukraine after the Opening Hierarchical Divine Liturgy of this week’s Holy Synod |
As His Beatitude Sviastoslav prepares to consecrate the new Patriarchal Sobor in Kyiv tomorrow morning, Sunday, the Society of St John Chrysostom in the United Kingdom sends warmest greetings and the assurance of prayers and loving communion. We are very much there in spirit, not least through Kyr Hlib, the bishop of the Eparchy of the Holy Family of London here in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
It is most moving to watch online the acts of prayer and pilgrimage to the new cathedral, as His Beatitude prepares the Church with his people for the great day, and to remember that not many decades ago this was a forbidden Church, its holy places and churches confiscated, its bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful oppressed and forced underground or to live in separation from the Catholic Church, and even to suffer greatly, to be starved, and to die for Christ. But Christ is risen – and the Sobor’s dedication is to Christ in His Resurrection.
Furthermore, in a time of ecumenical seeking for reconciliation and the unity of the whole Church, it is good to see, as well as Latin Catholics, Orthodox presence in fraternity as fellow heirs of the historic ancient Church of Kyiv, foundational to all of the Byzantine churches of the Slavs. For this weekend also marks the 1025th anniversary of the baptism of Kyivan Rus’.
Now the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church recovers its place in the city that is central to the consciousness of the Ukrainian nation and Church, but also that of each of the peoples who look to historic Rus’ as their heartland. Patriarch Sviatoslav says, “A cathedral unites all”, and thus he places his Church, as he has constantly said, at the service of unity and reconciliation for all Christians. There is much work and prayer to be done to this end and so we wish him many years on this pilgrimage – Eis polla, Despota.
At this time of intense concern for the Christians of the Middle East – Eastern Catholics, Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Assyrians of the East alike – thank God for this ray of joy, hope and light.