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Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (view source)
Revision as of 12:55, December 12, 2024
, 12:55, December 12, 2024Created page with "thumb|[[Saint George's Cathedral, Lviv|St. George's Cathedral, Lviv, Ukraine.]] The '''Ukrainian Greek Catholic Chur..."
[[File:St. George's Cathedral, Lviv, Ukraine.jpg|thumb|[[Saint George's Cathedral, Lviv|St. George's Cathedral]], [[Lviv]], [[Ukraine]].]]
The '''Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church''' (''Українська греко-католицька церква'' in [[Ukrainian]], transcribed ''Ukraïnska hreko-katolitska tserkva'') is the largest of the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] in full communion, [[sui iuris]], with the [[Holy See]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]]. It separated from Roman obedience in [[1054]], after the [[Great Schism]], but was readmitted in [[1596]]. The primacy of this Church, in union with the [[Pope]], rests with the so-called ''Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych and All Russia'', although the Ukrainian hierarchy has called for it to be elevated to [[Patriarch]].
This Church is geographically dispersed, with 40 [[eparchy|eparchies]] in a dozen countries across four continents, including three metropolitans in [[Poland]], the [[United States]], and [[Canada]].
Its usual liturgical languages are the so-called ''[[Church Slavonic]]'' and [[Ukrainian]].
== History ==
=== Origin and Schism ===
The Ukrainians received the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith through [[Eastern Roman Empire|Eastern Roman]] missionaries and their churches. Consequently, they were originally connected to the [[Patriarchate of Constantinople]]. In [[988]], the [[Grand Prince of Kievan Rus|Prince]] of [[Kievan Rus|Kyiv]], [[Vladimir I of Kyiv|Volodymyr Sviatoslavych]], [[Baptism of Kyiv|proclaimed Christianity as the official religion]] throughout Ukrainian lands. This same year, almost the entire population was baptized by the Dnieper River in the [[Byzantine Rite]].
Under the reign of [[Yaroslav the Wise]], successor of Vladimir, the Church of Kyiv continued its expansion: monasteries, churches, schools, and libraries were built, and books were translated from Greek. Yaroslav also ordered the construction of the grand [[St. Sophia Cathedral (Kyiv)|St. Sophia Cathedral]] in [[1037]], which became a symbol of Ukrainian Christianity.
Yaroslav died in [[1054]], when the [[Great Schism]] between Western and Eastern Churches occurred. While the Eastern Romans broke their ecclesiastical communion with the See of Rome, the Christians of Kyiv remained in union with it.
=== Decline ===
After Yaroslav’s death, a difficult era began for the Church of [[Kyiv]]. For several years, the city suffered invasions by [[Mongol Invasion of Russia|Mongols]] and [[Islam|Muslims]], leading to the fall of the Kyiv State.
After the decline of Kyiv, part of the Orthodox Church moved westwards, towards the territories of the Kingdom of [[Galicia]] and [[Volhynia]], coming under the protection of the princes Volodymyr, Roman, Danilo, Lev, Yuri, and others. On the other hand, after the Mongol destruction of Kyiv in the 13th century, the Metropolitan Bishop of Kyiv moved to [[Vladimir]] in 1299. By 1326, the Metropolitan had settled in [[Moscow]], and in 1328, the title of Metropolitan of Kyiv changed to that of Metropolitan of Moscow.
In the 15th century, the [[Principality of Galicia-Volhynia|Kingdom of Galicia]] came under the rule of the [[Kingdom of Poland|Poles]] and [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuanians]].
In [[1439]], the Metropolitan [[Isidore of Kyiv]] attended the [[Council of Florence]] and agreed to a union act between [[Catholics]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]. In contrast, the [[Patriarchate of Moscow|Muscovites]] refused to unite with Rome, advocating for [[Moscow]] to be another Rome and that the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] be the mother of all Eastern Churches.
The dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church in territories governed by the [[Russian Empire]] was completed in [[1875]] with the abolition of the [[Eparchy of Kholm]].<ref>[http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/art_osbm.timeline.005.htm St. Nicholas Church]</ref>
=== Return to Communion with Rome and Russian Empire persecution ===
The final step in the particularity of the Greek Catholic Church was the development of the [[Ukrainian language]] from the language of [[Kievan Rus]] between 1600 and 1800, a language that distinguished itself from Belarusian and Ruthenian.
During the 16th century, Ukrainian bishops decided to seek official support and protection from Rome. As Russian Orthodox propaganda infiltrated Ukraine, Polish Latinism was also gaining ground, and new sects were emerging, increasing the number of Protestants.
This desire was achieved in [[1596]], when with the support of the [[List of monarchs of Poland|King of Poland]], [[Sigismund III Vasa]], the entire Ukrainian ecclesiastical hierarchy concluded the union with Rome, proclaiming the "official communion" between Kyiv and Rome at the [[Union of Brest]].
Empress [[Catherine II of Russia]] issued a decree on April 22, 1794, to remove all obstacles for the incorporation of the Uniates to Orthodoxy. The Metropolis of Kiev, with the eparchies of Lutsk and Ostroh, [[Eparchy of Volodymyr-Brest|Volodymyr-Brest]], Pinsk and Turaŭ, Polatsk and Smolensk, was abolished by the Russian authorities in 1798 after the disappearance of Poland as a result of the [[Partitions of Poland]] in 1772, 1793, and 1795. The part that remained under Russian control included the [[Right Bank of Ukraine]] and modern Belarus, while the eparchies of Lviv, Chełm (or Kholm), and Przemyśl (Eastern Galicia) remained under Austrian control (now part of Ukraine's Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and part of Ternopil oblasts). In 1798, the eparchies of Volodymyr-Brest, and of Lutsk and Ostroh were restored. The Polish uprising of 1806 allowed for the restoration of the metropolis based in Polatsk, but the tsar only accepted the name of "Metropolis of the Uniate Church in Russia" <ref name="encyclopediaofukraine_1">{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CH%5CI%5CHistoryoftheUkrainianchurch.htm|title=History of the Ukrainian church}}</ref>. On September 26, 1808, the Pope transferred the primacy from the Metropolitan of Kiev-Halych and all Rus to the new Metropolitan of Lviv in the [[Austrian Empire]], whose suffragan eparchies were [[Ivano-Frankivsk]] and Przemyśl.
In the more eastern regions of [[Podolia]], the population mostly reverted to Orthodoxy. Initially, the Russian authorities were tolerant of the Greek Catholic Church and allowed it to operate without restrictions (calling adherents Basilian). However, the clergy soon divided into pro-Catholic and pro-Russian factions, with the former tending to convert to Latin Rite Catholicism, while the latter group was led by Bishop [[Iosif Semashko]] (1798-1868).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203213_ss1-16 |title=Iosif Semashko : The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity: Blackwell Reference Online |publisher=Blackwellreference.com |date= |accessdate=11 May 2011}}</ref> In 1828, the Church in the Russian Empire was reorganized, creating the metropolitanates of Polatsk in Belarus and Lithuania with its seat in [[Žyrovičy]].
The situation changed abruptly after the successful Russian repression of the [[November Uprising|Polish uprising of 1831]], aimed at eliminating Russian control over Polish territories. Since the uprising was actively supported by the Greek Catholic Church, immediate repression followed. The pro-Latin members of the synod were expelled, and the Church began to disintegrate, with its parishes in [[Volhynia]] returning to Orthodoxy, including the transfer in 1833 of the [[Pochaiv Lavra|Pochaiv Monastery]]. As Orthodox Russia expanded its control over Ukraine, the union was gradually suppressed, in 1839, the Polatsk Synod (in present-day Belarus), under the direction of Bishop Semashko, dissolved the Greek Catholic Church in the [[Russian Empire]], and all its properties were transferred to the state Orthodox Church by Tsar [[Nicholas I of Russia]], who abolished the union across Russian territories. By the late 18th century, Greek Catholics had almost disappeared.
The metropolitanates of Belarus and Lithuania were abolished, with only the eparchy of Chełm in present-day Poland remaining. Russian government pressure completely eliminated Greek Catholicism, and about 7 million faithful were forced to join the Russian Orthodox Church. The dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church in Russia was completed in 1875 with the abolition of the eparchy of Chełm.<ref>''St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Winnipeg, Historical Timeline of the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat''</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/art_osbm.timeline.005.htm|title=St. Nicholas Church }}</ref>
In the 18th century, most of Ukraine came under the rule of the [[Russian Empire|Tsars of Moscow]], who began a systematic persecution of Ukrainian Catholic Christianity. Only the western part of Ukraine, with [[Lviv]] as its capital, which remained under [[Austria]] and later [[Poland]], was able to preserve ecclesiastical communion with Rome. This Church thrived under the charismatic leadership of Metropolitan [[Andrey Sheptytsky]], who served as [[Archbishop of Lviv]] from [[1900]] to [[1944]].
Only the western part of Ukraine, with Lviv as its capital, which remained under the [[Austrian Empire]] and later under Poland, was able to retain ecclesiastical communion with Rome. The Austrians granted freedom of worship to the Greek Catholic Church and eliminated Polish influence. They also ordered that seminarians receive formal higher education (previously, priests had been informally educated by their parents) and organized institutions in Vienna and Lviv to serve this purpose.<ref>Himka, John Paul. (1999). ''Religion and Nationality in Western Ukraine.'' McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal and Kingston. Pg. 6.</ref> However, there was some fear in Rome that some elements of the Church might succumb to Orthodox apostasy:{{Harvnp |Conde|1903|ps="The sympathies that the Ruthenians had for the Russians, largely justified by the despotism of the Poles, led to repeated attempts at emancipation and a manifest tendency to strengthen ties with Russia. Though this tendency has almost completely disappeared today, it still remains a great danger for the Church, due to the political influence of Pan-Slavism fostered by the growing power of the Muscovite Empire and the efforts of some schismatics"|p=448}}. The Pope in 1891 sent Cardinal [[Agostino Ciasca|Ciasca]], who held the Lviv Synod from September to October of the same year; the Augustinians of Spain considered the Synod to be highly successful.{{Harvnp |Conde|1903|ps="It is not in our plan to rework the history of the Lviv Synod, a significant event in the religious life of that country: suffice it to know that the people, agitated by internal discord, with wavering faith, and inclined towards the Russian schism, have been regenerated by the decisions of the Council, and are now strongly aligned with Rome."|p=450}}
At the end of the century, many faithful emigrated to the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Of the estimated 5 million Greek Catholics living in Central Europe at the start of the 20th century, only about 10,000 were outside the Austro-Hungarian borders. It was estimated that there were 3,134,000 Greek Catholics, mostly Ukrainians (and the rest Poles) in the Metropolis of Lviv, including its suffragan eparchies of Stanislav (or Ivano-Frankivsk) and Przemyśl, while the Metropolis of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia with its suffragans of Lugoj, Oradea, and Gherla had 1,267,000 Greek Catholics, mostly Romanians (and the rest Hungarians). In Hungary, the eparchies of Mukachevo and Prešov, suffragans of the Archdiocese of Esztergom, had 562,000 faithful, mostly Ruthenians (and the rest Slovaks and Hungarians), and the eparchy of Križevci, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, had 25,000 faithful, both Croats and Ruthenians.<ref>Historical Atlas of Central Europe. Written by Paul Robert Magocsi</ref>
On February 22, 1903, the Tsar decreed religious freedom, allowing the Greek Catholic Church to function. This Church prospered under the charismatic leadership of Metropolitan [[Andrey Sheptytsky]], who was the archbishop of Lviv from 1900 to 1944. In 1907, Pope [[Pius X]] orally and secretly gave him full powers to organize the Byzantine Rite Church in the Russian Empire.<ref>Bishop Michel D'Herbigny SJ and Russia: A Pre-ecumenical Approach to Christian Unity, p. 56. Author: Léon Tretjakewitsch. Editor: Augustinus-Verlag, 1990. ISBN 3761301626, 9783761301623</ref> Sheptytsky was internally exiled in Russia between 1914 and 1917, and upon his return to Lviv, using the powers granted by Pius X, on May 29, 1917, he created the "Apostolic Exarchate for Byzantine Rite Ukrainian Faithful in Russia and Siberia," appointing Abbot [[Klymentiy Sheptytsky]] as Exarch, confirmed by Pope [[Benedict XV]] on February 24, 1921. On May 28, 1917, he appointed the first Apostolic Exarch for the Greek Catholics of Russia (''Exarchia apostolica pro catholicis ritus byzantini in Russia''), [[Leonid Feodorov]], who was confirmed by Benedict XV on March 1, 1921.<ref>Rome-Moscou: l'ostpolitik du Vatican, p. 29. Author: Mireille Maqua. Editor: Cabay, 1984. ISBN 2870772319, 9782870772317</ref>
After World War I, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics found themselves under the governments of Poland, [[Hungary]], [[Romania]], and [[Czechoslovakia]]. As they extended their policies of Polonization to their eastern territories, the Polish authorities sought to weaken the Greek Catholic Church.<ref name="Magosci">{{cite book| author=Magosci, P. | title=Morality and Reality: the Life and Times of Andrei Sheptytsky| location= Edmonton, Alberta | publisher= Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta | year = 1989 }}</ref> On September 17, 1939, Sheptytsky used his exceptional powers again to create 3 exarchates: the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Volhynia, Polesia, and Podlachia'' (Exarch [[Mykola Charnetskyi]]); the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Greater Ukraine'' (Exarch Josyf Slipyj); and the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Belarus'' (''Locum Tenens'' Mykola Charnetskyj, and from September 17, 1940, Exarch Antoniy Nemantsevich). Pope [[Pius XII]] accepted these exarchates on November 22, 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|title=Apostolische Nachfolge. Ukraine|accessdate=March 28, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914213026/http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|archivedate=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
When World War II began, most of [[Galicia]] was [[Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939|occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939]], and at the end of the war, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics found themselves under the control of the communist regimes of Poland and the Soviet Union. The new communist administration acted decisively to eliminate the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine: in April 1945, the Soviet authorities arrested, deported, and sentenced Metropolitan [[Josyf Slipyj]] (who had become Sheptytsky's coadjutor after his death on November 1, 1944) on April 11, 1945, along with eight other Greek Catholic bishops (Nykyta Budka, Grigorij Chomyshyn, Iván Lyatyshevskyi, Mykola Carneckyj, Peter Werhun, Josaphat Josyf Kocylovskyj, Hryhoriy Lakota, Teodor Yuriy Romzha),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|title=Apostolische Nachfolge|accessdate=March 28, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914213026/http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|archivedate=September 14, 2017}}</ref> as well as hundreds of clergy and lay activist leaders. In Lviv alone, 800 priests were arrested. With only a few clergy members invited to attend, a synod was convened in Lviv on March 8 and 9, 1946, to revoke the Union of Brest. Officially, all the Church's properties were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate.<ref name="RFEAug72009">[http://www.rferl.org/content/SovietEra_Documents_Shed_Light_On_Suppression_Of_Ukrainian_Catholic_Church/1795023.html Soviet-Era Documents Shed Light On Suppression Of Ukrainian Catholic Church], ''[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]'', August 7, 2009</ref> All the bishops and a significant number of clergy died in prisons, concentration camps, internal exile, or shortly after their release. The exception was Metropolitan Slipyj, the head of the Church, who was released in 1963 through the intervention of Pope [[John XXIII]], and sent into exile in Rome. In that same year (December 23, 1963), Pope [[Paul VI]] gave him the title of ''Major Archiepiscopal of the Ukrainians of Lviv'', with authority similar to an Eastern Patriarch. In 1965, he was made [[cardinal]], though he had been named ''in pectore'' in 1949, and died in 1984. Emigration to the United States and Canada, which had begun in the 1870s, increased after World War II.
The clergy who joined the Russian Orthodox Church were spared from the large-scale religious persecution that occurred in other parts of the country. In the city of Lviv, only one church was closed, at a time when many cities elsewhere in Ukraine had no functioning church. Other concessions by the Soviet government allowed the Orthodox dioceses of Lviv-Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk to retain the majority of the 7 existing convents, whereas none were left in Russia. Canon law for the Orthodox Church was also relaxed, allowing clergy to shave their beards and perform liturgies in Ukrainian instead of Church Slavonic.
Most of the Greek Catholic clergy in Ukraine remained underground, and Ukrainian Catholics continued to exist as the "Church of the Catacombs" for decades and were subjected to heavy attacks in the state-run media. The clergy gave up the public practice of their clerical duties but continued to do so secretly. Between 1944 and 1989, 25 Greek Catholic bishops were secretly consecrated in the Soviet Union. Many priests took up civilian professions and celebrated the sacraments in private. Soviet police regularly observed, interrogated, and fined ex-priests whose illegal activities were known, but they were not detained unless their activities became too widely known. Newly ordained priests were treated more harshly.
In the late 1950s, the authorities arrested more priests and unleashed a new wave of anti-Catholic propaganda. Secret ordinations took place in exile, and the secret theological seminaries in Ternopil and Kolomyia were exposed in Soviet press in the 1960s when their organizers were arrested. In 1974, a clandestine convent was discovered in Lviv. During the Soviet era, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church flourished across the Ukrainian diaspora. While Slipyj was in the Gulag, in 1959 he appointed 6 administrators for the Greek Catholics of the Soviet Union: Vasyl Velyckovskyj (for Volhynia, Greater Ukraine, and Belarus); Mykola Revt' (for Western Siberia); Illia Blavatskyi (for Central Siberia); Stepan Ratych (for Eastern Siberia); [[Olexiy Zarytskyi]] (for [[Kazakhstan]]); and Josafat Fedoryk (for [[Central Asia]]).
=== 20th Century - Soviet Marxist persecution ===
{{Main article|Religious persecution}}
[[File:Interior of St. George's Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine.jpg|thumb|Interior of St. George's Cathedral in [[Lviv]].]]
With the start of [[World War II]], most of [[Galicia]] was annexed by the [[Soviet Union]]. The new communist administration acted decisively to eradicate the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: in April [[1945]], all its bishops were arrested and sentenced to forced labor. The Metropolitan [[Josyf Slipyi]], head of the Church, was sent to prison in [[Siberia]]. He was not released until [[1963]], after which he was exiled to Rome. In the same year, he was given the title of ''Major Archbishop of the Ukrainians in Lviv'', and in [[1965]] he was made a cardinal. He died in [[1984]].
In [[1989]], towards the end of communism, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the [[Government of Ukraine]]. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their old parishes. This marked the beginning of a strong resurgence of Catholicism in the region.
In [[1991]], Cardinal [[Miroslav Ivan Lubachivsky]], the exiled head of the Ukrainian Church, was allowed to leave Rome and reside in Lviv. In [[1992]], Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world convened for a synod in the city for the first time in several decades. In the same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyi were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. In July [[1993]], four new dioceses were created.
=== From Restoration to the Present Day ===
=== Restoration ===
In the late 1980s, there was a change in the Soviet government's attitude towards religion. In December 1989, as the fall of [[communism]] was approaching, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the government and were allowed to function once again. Nearly all of their parishes prior to 1946 and their properties were in the hands of the Orthodox Church. Supported by Ukrainian nationalist groups, the Greek Catholic Church took a firm stance on the return of its lost properties and parishes, even in cases where there were almost no Catholic faithful left. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their former parishes. Most of the parishes in Galicia came under Greek Catholic control during the events of a large-scale interconfessional rivalry that was often accompanied by violent clashes. All of this was the prelude to a strong revival of Catholicism in the region. These tensions led to a rupture in relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See.
Since the exile of Slipyj in 1963, the Archdiocese of Lviv was administered by the ''locum tenens'' [[Vasyl Velyckovskyj]] until his exile to [[Canada]] in 1972, and then by [[Volodymyr Sterniuk]] until 1991 when Cardinal [[Myroslav Iván Lubachivsky]], the exiled primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church since 1984, was authorized to leave Rome and take up residence in Lviv. On January 16, 1991, the surviving clandestine bishops were confirmed by the pope. In 1992, Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world were summoned to a synod in the same city for the first time in several decades, and that same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyj were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. The synod took place between May 16 and 31, 1992, and decided on the creation of four new eparchies in Ukraine: Sambir-Drohobych, Ternopil, Zboriv (all separated from the major archdiocese of Lviv), and Kolomyia-Chernivtsi (separated from Ivano-Frankivsk), which were established on April 20, 1993. The territories of the rest of Ukraine were established as the Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Kiev–Vyshhorod on November 25, 1995.
After the restoration of this Church in Ukraine, the synod of bishops began to meet regularly. The first general [[council]] of Ukrainian Greek Catholics was held in Lviv in October 1996. Due to Cardinal Lubachivsky's poor health, [[Lubomyr Husar]] was appointed ''Administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church''. In August 2000, a new synod held in Buchach decided on the creation of two new eparchies in Ukraine: Stryi and Sokal, while reorganizing the eparchies of Ternopil and Zboriv into the new eparchies of Ternopil-Zboriv and Buchach. Since 2000, the Church's territory was expanded to all of Ukraine, except for the situation of the Mukachevo eparchy. On December 14, 2000, Cardinal Lubachivsky passed away and was succeeded by Lubomyr Husar, who was later created a cardinal.
In June 2001, [[Pope John Paul II]] made an [[Apostolic Journey]] to Ukraine at the invitation of the president and the Greek Catholic and Latin bishops. The main sites of the visit were Kyiv, the national capital, and Lviv. During his visit to Ukraine on June 27, 2001, the pope beatified 27 martyrs and 3 [[Servant of God|Servants of God]] and blessed the new [[Catholic University of Ukraine]].
In 2004, the seat of the Major Archbishop was moved back to Kyiv by Pope [[Benedict XVI]]. On March 27, 2011, [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]] became the new primate.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church embarked on a campaign of liturgical reforms of de-Latinization, which included the removal of [[stations of the cross]], the [[Rosary (Catholicism)|rosary]], and the [[Monstrance (liturgical)|monstrance]] from its liturgy and parishes. This led in 2000 to Father Vasyl Kovpak and a small group of followers opposed to the reforms and ecumenism to organize the [[Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat]], linked to the [[Society of Saint Pius X]]. On November 21, 2007, the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] excommunicated Kovpak.<ref>Catholic World News, November 21, 2007. [http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=54919 Ukrainian priest excommunicated]</ref> In 2008, a group of anti-reform priests from the Basilian monastery in Pidhirtsi declared that four of them had been consecrated as bishops without the pope's or Major Archbishop's permission. They were excommunicated in 2008, and in 2009, they formed the [[Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Orthodox Church]].
According to the ''[[Pontifical Yearbook]]'' 2016, by the end of 2015, in the 33 jurisdictions of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, there were: 42 bishops, 3,826 [[parish (religion)|parishes]], 2,973 secular priests, 432 religious priests, 843 religious, 1,371 religious women, 126 permanent [[deacon]]s, and 731 seminarians.<ref name="cnewa_1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|title=Source: The Eastern Catholic Churches (CNEWA)|accessdate=February 18, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020094357/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/roberson-Eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|archivedate=October 20, 2016}}</ref>
Currently, this Church has 3,240 parochial communities, 78 monasteries, 755 Sunday schools, 12 educational institutions, 2,721 churches (with 306 more under construction), 16 bishops, 1,976 priests, 590 monks, 729 nuns, and 1,298 seminarians.
=== Calendar reform ===
In 1916, Bishop of Stanislav Hryhoriy (Khomyshyn) introduced the Gregorian calendar after the end of Tsarist occupation over most of Galicia. However, later, due to pressure from Orientalists and Moscow supporters and from [[Andrey (Sheptytsky)|Andrey Sheptytsky]], who had returned from captivity, he was forced to cancel the reform.
Supreme Archbishop [[Svyatoslav (Shevchuk)|Svyatoslav]] stated in December 2020 that the Greek Catholic Church would address the issue of transitioning to the "new style" "together with our Orthodox brothers<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Pursuit of the Sun: Will the Churches Transition to the "New" Calendar?|url=https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/entertainment/2014/01/140113_religion_calendars_ko|website=BBC News Ukraine|date=2014-01-13|accessdate=2022-12-11|language=uk}}</ref>". He also noted that this issue is not doctrinal but aims to heal church divisions, rather than cause new ones, and in his opinion, the transition to celebrating Christmas according to the "new style," i.e., December 25, should occur at the initiative of the laity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Blessed Svyatoslav Foresees a Transition Period for "Gregorian" Christmas|url=https://zbruc.eu/node/102262|website=Zbruch|date=2020-12-19|accessdate=2022-12-11|language=uk}}</ref> On December 3, 2022, Patriarch [[Svyatoslav (Shevchuk)|Svyatoslav]] mentioned that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has extensive experience transitioning to the Gregorian calendar, as most dioceses and parishes abroad have already celebrated holidays according to the "new style" for a long time. In Ukraine, however, the church is currently studying the possibilities for transition.<ref>{{Cite web|title="'Kolyada Will Become an Anthem of Ukraine's Victory': Head of UGCC on Christmas Celebrations During War|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/kolyada-peretvorytsya-na-gimn-peremogy-ukrayny-dumky-glavy-ugkts-pro-svyatkuvannya-rizdva-v-chas-viyny-1566/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2022-12-10|language=uk}}</ref>
On December 24, 2022, the Supreme Archbishop [[Svyatoslav]] handed a letter to [[Metropolitan Epifaniy (Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine)|Metropolitan Epifaniy]] during an audience, which outlined the views of the hierarchs of the UGCC on the calendar reform. The church leaders decided to establish a joint working group on the specific proposals for the calendar reform.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title=During the Meeting of Blessed Svyatoslav and Blessed Epifaniy, They Discussed the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://news.ugcc.ua/data/pid-chas-zustrichi-blazhennishogo-svyatoslava-z-blazhennishym-epifaniem-govoryly-pro-reformu-tserkovnogo-kalendarya-1713/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk|archive-date=2022-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224150917/https://news.ugcc.ua/data/pid-chas-zustrichi-blazhennishogo-svyatoslava-z-blazhennishym-epifaniem-govoryly-pro-reformu-tserkovnogo-kalendarya-1713/}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web|title=The Heads of the UGCC and the OCU Meet to Discuss the Calendar Reform|url=https://www.pomisna.info/uk/vsi-novyny/vidbulasya-zustrich-predstoyatelya-ptsu-z-ottsem-i-glavoyu-ugkts/|website=OCU|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref> The joint group was initiated to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the [[First Council of Nicaea|First Ecumenical Council]], which took place in [[Nicaea]] in [[325]] AD. This council, among other things, established the calendar principles of church life.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=Heads of the OCU and UGCC Agree to Create a Working Group for the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/3640571-glavi-pcu-j-ugkc-domovilisa-stvoriti-robocu-grupu-dla-reformi-cerkovnogo-kalendara.html|website=www.ukrinform.ua|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=OCU and UGCC to Jointly Consider the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://hromadske.ua/posts/pcu-ta-ugkc-spilno-rozglyanut-reformu-cerkovnogo-kalendarya|website=hromadske.ua|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=The Heads of UGCC and OCU Discussed the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/predstoyateli-ugkc-ta-pcu-obgovorili-reformu-cerkovnogo-kalendarya-2230087.html|website=TSN.ua|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref>
On February 1–2, 2023, in [[Lviv|Lviv]]-[[Bryukhovychi|Bryukhovychi]], the [[Synod of the UGCC|Synod of the UGCC]] decided that from September 1, 2023, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in [[Ukraine]] would adopt the new style ([[Gregorian calendar]]) for fixed holidays, while maintaining the Julian Paschalion. This was announced by [[Supreme Archbishop]] Svyatoslav on February 6, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Decision: UGCC in Ukraine Switches to the New Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/istorychne-rishennya-ugkts-v-ukrayni-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2056/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-02-06|language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Adopts New Calendar: Details of the Historic Decision|url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/ukrayinska-greko-katolicka-cerkva-perehodit-na-noviy-kalendar-podrobici-istorichnogo-rishennya-2259325.html|website=TSN.ua|date=2023-02-06|accessdate=2023-02-06|language=uk}}</ref> Following the UGCC in Ukraine, the decision to switch to the new style was made by the [[Przemyśl–Warsaw Metropolitan Archdiocese|UGCC in Poland]] on February 6<ref>{{Cite web|title=UGCC in Poland Also Adopts the New Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-u-polshchi-takozh-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2068/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-03-22|language=uk}}</ref>, [[Melbourne Eparchy of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul UGCC|UGCC in Australia and Oceania]] on March 22<ref name=":92">{{Cite web|title=UGCC in Australia and Oceania Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-v-avstraliy-ta-okeaniy-perehodyt-na-grygorianskyy-kalendar-2387/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-03-22|language=uk}}</ref>, [[Apostolic Exarchate in Germany and Scandinavia|UGCC in Germany and Scandinavia]] on April 22<ref name=":122">{{Cite web|title=Apostolic Exarchate Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ukrainische-kirche.eu/news/apostolskyy-ekzarhat-perehodyt-na-grygorianskyy-kalendar-294/|website=Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians of Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia|accessdate=2023-04-23|language=uk}}</ref>, [[London Eparchy of the Holy Family|UGCC in the United Kingdom]] on June 9<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|title=Holy Family Eparchy in London Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/eparhiya-presvyatoy-rodyny-v-londoni-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2899/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-06-09|language=uk}}</ref>, and [[North America UGCC]] on December 25, 2023.<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|title=UGCC in North America Adopts Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-v-severniy-americi-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-3365/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-12-23|language=uk}}</ref>
== Jurisdictions ==
* Major Archeparch of [[Kyiv]] - [[Galicia]] and All Russia (in [[Ukraine]]), from which the following archebishops' exarchates depend:
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Crimea|Crimea]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Donetsk|Donetsk]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Kharkiv|Kharkiv]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Odessa|Odessa]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Lutsk|Lutsk]]
* ''Metropolitan Archeparchies:''
** [[Kyiv]] - Vyshhorod (also Apostolic Visitor to [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Central Asia]]). United to the major archeparchy of [[Kyiv]] - Halych. Its suffragan eparchies include:
*** [[Lviv]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Buchach]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Ivano-Frankivsk]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Kolomyia]] - [[Chernivtsi]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Sambir]] - Drohobych (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Sokal]] - [[Yovkva]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Stril]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Ternopil]] - Zboriv (in [[Ukraine]])
** [[Curitiba]] (in [[Brazil]]) with the suffragan eparchy of:
*** Immaculate Conception in Prudentópolis (in [[Brazil]])
** [[Philadelphia]] (in [[United States]]) with the suffragan eparchies of:
*** St. Josaphat in Parma (in the [[United States]])
*** St. Nicholas in [[Chicago]] ([[United States]])
*** Stamford ([[United States]])
** Przemyśl - [[Warsaw]] (in [[Poland]]) with the suffragan eparchy of:
*** [[Wrocław]] - [[Gdańsk]] (in [[Poland]])
** [[Winnipeg]] (in [[Canada]]) with the suffragan eparchies of:
*** [[Edmonton]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[New Westminster]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[Saskatoon]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[Toronto]] (in [[Canada]])
* ''Eparchies:'
** [[St. Peter]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] in [[Melbourne]] (in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Oceania]]) suffragan to the Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of [[Melbourne]]
** [[Holy Virgin of Protection]] in [[Buenos Aires]] (in [[Argentina]]) suffragan to the Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of [[Buenos Aires]]
** [[Holy Family]] in [[London]] ([[United Kingdom]]).
** [[St. Vladimir the Great]] in [[Paris]] ([[France]]).
* ''Apostolic Exarchates:''
** [[Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]] (in [[Germany]], [[Finland]], [[Sweden]], and [[Norway]])
* ''Titular Seats:''
** Kamenets
* ''Religious Orders:''
** [[Basilian Order of St. Josaphat]]
** [[Ukrainian Studite Monks]]
On January 14, 2013, the pope appointed an Apostolic Visitor for Ukrainian faithful in [[Uruguay]], [[Paraguay]], [[Chile]], and [[Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=9c8cb8db-58c8-3266-873a-50f405decbd1&dl_t=text%2Fxml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1 |title=Vatican Information Service |accessdate=2021-03-07 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811012918/http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=9c8cb8db-58c8-3266-873a-50f405decbd1&dl_t=text%2Fxml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1 |archivedate=2014-08-11}}</ref>
== Primates ==
; Metropolitans of [[Kyiv]] (1596-1838):
* Mikhailo Rohoza (1596-1599)
* Ipatii Potii (1600-1613)
* Iosif Veliamin Rutski (1613-1637)
* Rafakhil Korsak (1637-1640)
* Antin Sielava (1641-1655)
* Havrïil Kolenda (1666-1674)
* Kyprian Zotxovskikh (1674-1693)
* Lev Szlubic-Zalenskikh (1694-1708)
* Yurikh Vinnickikh (1708-1713)
* Lev Luka Kiszka (1714-1729)
* Athanasius Heptitsky (1729-1746)
* Florian Hrebnicki (1748-1762)
* Felix Filipp Volodkovich (1762-1778)
* Ludovik Lev Heptitski (1778-1779)
* Iason Smogorkhevski (1780-1786)
* Theodor Rostotski ([[1787]] - [[1805]])
* [[Irakli Lissovski]] ([[1808]] - [[1809]])
* [[Hryhori Kokhanovych]] (1809 - [[1814]])
* [[Iosafat Bulhak]] ([[1818]] - [[1838]])
; Metropolitans of [[Lviv]] (1838-1984):
* [[Mikhakhlo Levitski]] (1838 - [[1858]])
* [[Hryhori Yakhimovych]] ([[1859]] - [[1866]])
* [[Spiridon Litvinovych]] (1866 - [[1869]])
* [[Iosif Sembratovich]] ([[1870]] - [[1882]])
* [[Sylvester Sembratovich]] (1882 - [[1898]])
* [[Iulian Sas-Kulovsky]] ([[1899]] - [[1900]])
* [[Andrei Heptitsky]] (1900 - [[1944]])
* [[Iosif Slipiy]] (1944 - [[1984]])
; Major Archbishops of Lviv (1984-2005):
* [[Miroslav Ivan Lubachivsky]] (1984 [[- 2000]])
* [[Lubomyr Husar]] (2000 - [[2005]])
; Major Archbishops of Kyiv-Halych (2005-):
* [[Lubomyr Husar]] (2005 - [[2011]])
* [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]] (2011-)
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Ukraine]]
[[Category:Byzantine Rite]]
The '''Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church''' (''Українська греко-католицька церква'' in [[Ukrainian]], transcribed ''Ukraïnska hreko-katolitska tserkva'') is the largest of the [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] in full communion, [[sui iuris]], with the [[Holy See]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic Church]]. It separated from Roman obedience in [[1054]], after the [[Great Schism]], but was readmitted in [[1596]]. The primacy of this Church, in union with the [[Pope]], rests with the so-called ''Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych and All Russia'', although the Ukrainian hierarchy has called for it to be elevated to [[Patriarch]].
This Church is geographically dispersed, with 40 [[eparchy|eparchies]] in a dozen countries across four continents, including three metropolitans in [[Poland]], the [[United States]], and [[Canada]].
Its usual liturgical languages are the so-called ''[[Church Slavonic]]'' and [[Ukrainian]].
== History ==
=== Origin and Schism ===
The Ukrainians received the [[Christianity|Christian]] faith through [[Eastern Roman Empire|Eastern Roman]] missionaries and their churches. Consequently, they were originally connected to the [[Patriarchate of Constantinople]]. In [[988]], the [[Grand Prince of Kievan Rus|Prince]] of [[Kievan Rus|Kyiv]], [[Vladimir I of Kyiv|Volodymyr Sviatoslavych]], [[Baptism of Kyiv|proclaimed Christianity as the official religion]] throughout Ukrainian lands. This same year, almost the entire population was baptized by the Dnieper River in the [[Byzantine Rite]].
Under the reign of [[Yaroslav the Wise]], successor of Vladimir, the Church of Kyiv continued its expansion: monasteries, churches, schools, and libraries were built, and books were translated from Greek. Yaroslav also ordered the construction of the grand [[St. Sophia Cathedral (Kyiv)|St. Sophia Cathedral]] in [[1037]], which became a symbol of Ukrainian Christianity.
Yaroslav died in [[1054]], when the [[Great Schism]] between Western and Eastern Churches occurred. While the Eastern Romans broke their ecclesiastical communion with the See of Rome, the Christians of Kyiv remained in union with it.
=== Decline ===
After Yaroslav’s death, a difficult era began for the Church of [[Kyiv]]. For several years, the city suffered invasions by [[Mongol Invasion of Russia|Mongols]] and [[Islam|Muslims]], leading to the fall of the Kyiv State.
After the decline of Kyiv, part of the Orthodox Church moved westwards, towards the territories of the Kingdom of [[Galicia]] and [[Volhynia]], coming under the protection of the princes Volodymyr, Roman, Danilo, Lev, Yuri, and others. On the other hand, after the Mongol destruction of Kyiv in the 13th century, the Metropolitan Bishop of Kyiv moved to [[Vladimir]] in 1299. By 1326, the Metropolitan had settled in [[Moscow]], and in 1328, the title of Metropolitan of Kyiv changed to that of Metropolitan of Moscow.
In the 15th century, the [[Principality of Galicia-Volhynia|Kingdom of Galicia]] came under the rule of the [[Kingdom of Poland|Poles]] and [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania|Lithuanians]].
In [[1439]], the Metropolitan [[Isidore of Kyiv]] attended the [[Council of Florence]] and agreed to a union act between [[Catholics]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]]. In contrast, the [[Patriarchate of Moscow|Muscovites]] refused to unite with Rome, advocating for [[Moscow]] to be another Rome and that the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] be the mother of all Eastern Churches.
The dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church in territories governed by the [[Russian Empire]] was completed in [[1875]] with the abolition of the [[Eparchy of Kholm]].<ref>[http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/art_osbm.timeline.005.htm St. Nicholas Church]</ref>
=== Return to Communion with Rome and Russian Empire persecution ===
The final step in the particularity of the Greek Catholic Church was the development of the [[Ukrainian language]] from the language of [[Kievan Rus]] between 1600 and 1800, a language that distinguished itself from Belarusian and Ruthenian.
During the 16th century, Ukrainian bishops decided to seek official support and protection from Rome. As Russian Orthodox propaganda infiltrated Ukraine, Polish Latinism was also gaining ground, and new sects were emerging, increasing the number of Protestants.
This desire was achieved in [[1596]], when with the support of the [[List of monarchs of Poland|King of Poland]], [[Sigismund III Vasa]], the entire Ukrainian ecclesiastical hierarchy concluded the union with Rome, proclaiming the "official communion" between Kyiv and Rome at the [[Union of Brest]].
Empress [[Catherine II of Russia]] issued a decree on April 22, 1794, to remove all obstacles for the incorporation of the Uniates to Orthodoxy. The Metropolis of Kiev, with the eparchies of Lutsk and Ostroh, [[Eparchy of Volodymyr-Brest|Volodymyr-Brest]], Pinsk and Turaŭ, Polatsk and Smolensk, was abolished by the Russian authorities in 1798 after the disappearance of Poland as a result of the [[Partitions of Poland]] in 1772, 1793, and 1795. The part that remained under Russian control included the [[Right Bank of Ukraine]] and modern Belarus, while the eparchies of Lviv, Chełm (or Kholm), and Przemyśl (Eastern Galicia) remained under Austrian control (now part of Ukraine's Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and part of Ternopil oblasts). In 1798, the eparchies of Volodymyr-Brest, and of Lutsk and Ostroh were restored. The Polish uprising of 1806 allowed for the restoration of the metropolis based in Polatsk, but the tsar only accepted the name of "Metropolis of the Uniate Church in Russia" <ref name="encyclopediaofukraine_1">{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CH%5CI%5CHistoryoftheUkrainianchurch.htm|title=History of the Ukrainian church}}</ref>. On September 26, 1808, the Pope transferred the primacy from the Metropolitan of Kiev-Halych and all Rus to the new Metropolitan of Lviv in the [[Austrian Empire]], whose suffragan eparchies were [[Ivano-Frankivsk]] and Przemyśl.
In the more eastern regions of [[Podolia]], the population mostly reverted to Orthodoxy. Initially, the Russian authorities were tolerant of the Greek Catholic Church and allowed it to operate without restrictions (calling adherents Basilian). However, the clergy soon divided into pro-Catholic and pro-Russian factions, with the former tending to convert to Latin Rite Catholicism, while the latter group was led by Bishop [[Iosif Semashko]] (1798-1868).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203213_ss1-16 |title=Iosif Semashko : The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity: Blackwell Reference Online |publisher=Blackwellreference.com |date= |accessdate=11 May 2011}}</ref> In 1828, the Church in the Russian Empire was reorganized, creating the metropolitanates of Polatsk in Belarus and Lithuania with its seat in [[Žyrovičy]].
The situation changed abruptly after the successful Russian repression of the [[November Uprising|Polish uprising of 1831]], aimed at eliminating Russian control over Polish territories. Since the uprising was actively supported by the Greek Catholic Church, immediate repression followed. The pro-Latin members of the synod were expelled, and the Church began to disintegrate, with its parishes in [[Volhynia]] returning to Orthodoxy, including the transfer in 1833 of the [[Pochaiv Lavra|Pochaiv Monastery]]. As Orthodox Russia expanded its control over Ukraine, the union was gradually suppressed, in 1839, the Polatsk Synod (in present-day Belarus), under the direction of Bishop Semashko, dissolved the Greek Catholic Church in the [[Russian Empire]], and all its properties were transferred to the state Orthodox Church by Tsar [[Nicholas I of Russia]], who abolished the union across Russian territories. By the late 18th century, Greek Catholics had almost disappeared.
The metropolitanates of Belarus and Lithuania were abolished, with only the eparchy of Chełm in present-day Poland remaining. Russian government pressure completely eliminated Greek Catholicism, and about 7 million faithful were forced to join the Russian Orthodox Church. The dissolution of the Greek Catholic Church in Russia was completed in 1875 with the abolition of the eparchy of Chełm.<ref>''St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Parish in Winnipeg, Historical Timeline of the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat''</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stnicholaschurch.ca/content_pages/osbm/art_osbm.timeline.005.htm|title=St. Nicholas Church }}</ref>
In the 18th century, most of Ukraine came under the rule of the [[Russian Empire|Tsars of Moscow]], who began a systematic persecution of Ukrainian Catholic Christianity. Only the western part of Ukraine, with [[Lviv]] as its capital, which remained under [[Austria]] and later [[Poland]], was able to preserve ecclesiastical communion with Rome. This Church thrived under the charismatic leadership of Metropolitan [[Andrey Sheptytsky]], who served as [[Archbishop of Lviv]] from [[1900]] to [[1944]].
Only the western part of Ukraine, with Lviv as its capital, which remained under the [[Austrian Empire]] and later under Poland, was able to retain ecclesiastical communion with Rome. The Austrians granted freedom of worship to the Greek Catholic Church and eliminated Polish influence. They also ordered that seminarians receive formal higher education (previously, priests had been informally educated by their parents) and organized institutions in Vienna and Lviv to serve this purpose.<ref>Himka, John Paul. (1999). ''Religion and Nationality in Western Ukraine.'' McGill-Queen's University Press: Montreal and Kingston. Pg. 6.</ref> However, there was some fear in Rome that some elements of the Church might succumb to Orthodox apostasy:{{Harvnp |Conde|1903|ps="The sympathies that the Ruthenians had for the Russians, largely justified by the despotism of the Poles, led to repeated attempts at emancipation and a manifest tendency to strengthen ties with Russia. Though this tendency has almost completely disappeared today, it still remains a great danger for the Church, due to the political influence of Pan-Slavism fostered by the growing power of the Muscovite Empire and the efforts of some schismatics"|p=448}}. The Pope in 1891 sent Cardinal [[Agostino Ciasca|Ciasca]], who held the Lviv Synod from September to October of the same year; the Augustinians of Spain considered the Synod to be highly successful.{{Harvnp |Conde|1903|ps="It is not in our plan to rework the history of the Lviv Synod, a significant event in the religious life of that country: suffice it to know that the people, agitated by internal discord, with wavering faith, and inclined towards the Russian schism, have been regenerated by the decisions of the Council, and are now strongly aligned with Rome."|p=450}}
At the end of the century, many faithful emigrated to the United States, Canada, and Brazil. Of the estimated 5 million Greek Catholics living in Central Europe at the start of the 20th century, only about 10,000 were outside the Austro-Hungarian borders. It was estimated that there were 3,134,000 Greek Catholics, mostly Ukrainians (and the rest Poles) in the Metropolis of Lviv, including its suffragan eparchies of Stanislav (or Ivano-Frankivsk) and Przemyśl, while the Metropolis of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia with its suffragans of Lugoj, Oradea, and Gherla had 1,267,000 Greek Catholics, mostly Romanians (and the rest Hungarians). In Hungary, the eparchies of Mukachevo and Prešov, suffragans of the Archdiocese of Esztergom, had 562,000 faithful, mostly Ruthenians (and the rest Slovaks and Hungarians), and the eparchy of Križevci, suffragan of the Archdiocese of Zagreb, had 25,000 faithful, both Croats and Ruthenians.<ref>Historical Atlas of Central Europe. Written by Paul Robert Magocsi</ref>
On February 22, 1903, the Tsar decreed religious freedom, allowing the Greek Catholic Church to function. This Church prospered under the charismatic leadership of Metropolitan [[Andrey Sheptytsky]], who was the archbishop of Lviv from 1900 to 1944. In 1907, Pope [[Pius X]] orally and secretly gave him full powers to organize the Byzantine Rite Church in the Russian Empire.<ref>Bishop Michel D'Herbigny SJ and Russia: A Pre-ecumenical Approach to Christian Unity, p. 56. Author: Léon Tretjakewitsch. Editor: Augustinus-Verlag, 1990. ISBN 3761301626, 9783761301623</ref> Sheptytsky was internally exiled in Russia between 1914 and 1917, and upon his return to Lviv, using the powers granted by Pius X, on May 29, 1917, he created the "Apostolic Exarchate for Byzantine Rite Ukrainian Faithful in Russia and Siberia," appointing Abbot [[Klymentiy Sheptytsky]] as Exarch, confirmed by Pope [[Benedict XV]] on February 24, 1921. On May 28, 1917, he appointed the first Apostolic Exarch for the Greek Catholics of Russia (''Exarchia apostolica pro catholicis ritus byzantini in Russia''), [[Leonid Feodorov]], who was confirmed by Benedict XV on March 1, 1921.<ref>Rome-Moscou: l'ostpolitik du Vatican, p. 29. Author: Mireille Maqua. Editor: Cabay, 1984. ISBN 2870772319, 9782870772317</ref>
After World War I, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics found themselves under the governments of Poland, [[Hungary]], [[Romania]], and [[Czechoslovakia]]. As they extended their policies of Polonization to their eastern territories, the Polish authorities sought to weaken the Greek Catholic Church.<ref name="Magosci">{{cite book| author=Magosci, P. | title=Morality and Reality: the Life and Times of Andrei Sheptytsky| location= Edmonton, Alberta | publisher= Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, University of Alberta | year = 1989 }}</ref> On September 17, 1939, Sheptytsky used his exceptional powers again to create 3 exarchates: the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Volhynia, Polesia, and Podlachia'' (Exarch [[Mykola Charnetskyi]]); the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Greater Ukraine'' (Exarch Josyf Slipyj); and the ''Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Belarus'' (''Locum Tenens'' Mykola Charnetskyj, and from September 17, 1940, Exarch Antoniy Nemantsevich). Pope [[Pius XII]] accepted these exarchates on November 22, 1941.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|title=Apostolische Nachfolge. Ukraine|accessdate=March 28, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914213026/http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|archivedate=September 14, 2017}}</ref>
When World War II began, most of [[Galicia]] was [[Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939|occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939]], and at the end of the war, the Ukrainian Greek Catholics found themselves under the control of the communist regimes of Poland and the Soviet Union. The new communist administration acted decisively to eliminate the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine: in April 1945, the Soviet authorities arrested, deported, and sentenced Metropolitan [[Josyf Slipyj]] (who had become Sheptytsky's coadjutor after his death on November 1, 1944) on April 11, 1945, along with eight other Greek Catholic bishops (Nykyta Budka, Grigorij Chomyshyn, Iván Lyatyshevskyi, Mykola Carneckyj, Peter Werhun, Josaphat Josyf Kocylovskyj, Hryhoriy Lakota, Teodor Yuriy Romzha),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|title=Apostolische Nachfolge|accessdate=March 28, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914213026/http://www.apostolische-nachfolge.de/Ukraine%20(English).htm|archivedate=September 14, 2017}}</ref> as well as hundreds of clergy and lay activist leaders. In Lviv alone, 800 priests were arrested. With only a few clergy members invited to attend, a synod was convened in Lviv on March 8 and 9, 1946, to revoke the Union of Brest. Officially, all the Church's properties were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate.<ref name="RFEAug72009">[http://www.rferl.org/content/SovietEra_Documents_Shed_Light_On_Suppression_Of_Ukrainian_Catholic_Church/1795023.html Soviet-Era Documents Shed Light On Suppression Of Ukrainian Catholic Church], ''[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]'', August 7, 2009</ref> All the bishops and a significant number of clergy died in prisons, concentration camps, internal exile, or shortly after their release. The exception was Metropolitan Slipyj, the head of the Church, who was released in 1963 through the intervention of Pope [[John XXIII]], and sent into exile in Rome. In that same year (December 23, 1963), Pope [[Paul VI]] gave him the title of ''Major Archiepiscopal of the Ukrainians of Lviv'', with authority similar to an Eastern Patriarch. In 1965, he was made [[cardinal]], though he had been named ''in pectore'' in 1949, and died in 1984. Emigration to the United States and Canada, which had begun in the 1870s, increased after World War II.
The clergy who joined the Russian Orthodox Church were spared from the large-scale religious persecution that occurred in other parts of the country. In the city of Lviv, only one church was closed, at a time when many cities elsewhere in Ukraine had no functioning church. Other concessions by the Soviet government allowed the Orthodox dioceses of Lviv-Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk to retain the majority of the 7 existing convents, whereas none were left in Russia. Canon law for the Orthodox Church was also relaxed, allowing clergy to shave their beards and perform liturgies in Ukrainian instead of Church Slavonic.
Most of the Greek Catholic clergy in Ukraine remained underground, and Ukrainian Catholics continued to exist as the "Church of the Catacombs" for decades and were subjected to heavy attacks in the state-run media. The clergy gave up the public practice of their clerical duties but continued to do so secretly. Between 1944 and 1989, 25 Greek Catholic bishops were secretly consecrated in the Soviet Union. Many priests took up civilian professions and celebrated the sacraments in private. Soviet police regularly observed, interrogated, and fined ex-priests whose illegal activities were known, but they were not detained unless their activities became too widely known. Newly ordained priests were treated more harshly.
In the late 1950s, the authorities arrested more priests and unleashed a new wave of anti-Catholic propaganda. Secret ordinations took place in exile, and the secret theological seminaries in Ternopil and Kolomyia were exposed in Soviet press in the 1960s when their organizers were arrested. In 1974, a clandestine convent was discovered in Lviv. During the Soviet era, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church flourished across the Ukrainian diaspora. While Slipyj was in the Gulag, in 1959 he appointed 6 administrators for the Greek Catholics of the Soviet Union: Vasyl Velyckovskyj (for Volhynia, Greater Ukraine, and Belarus); Mykola Revt' (for Western Siberia); Illia Blavatskyi (for Central Siberia); Stepan Ratych (for Eastern Siberia); [[Olexiy Zarytskyi]] (for [[Kazakhstan]]); and Josafat Fedoryk (for [[Central Asia]]).
=== 20th Century - Soviet Marxist persecution ===
{{Main article|Religious persecution}}
[[File:Interior of St. George's Cathedral in Lviv, Ukraine.jpg|thumb|Interior of St. George's Cathedral in [[Lviv]].]]
With the start of [[World War II]], most of [[Galicia]] was annexed by the [[Soviet Union]]. The new communist administration acted decisively to eradicate the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: in April [[1945]], all its bishops were arrested and sentenced to forced labor. The Metropolitan [[Josyf Slipyi]], head of the Church, was sent to prison in [[Siberia]]. He was not released until [[1963]], after which he was exiled to Rome. In the same year, he was given the title of ''Major Archbishop of the Ukrainians in Lviv'', and in [[1965]] he was made a cardinal. He died in [[1984]].
In [[1989]], towards the end of communism, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the [[Government of Ukraine]]. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their old parishes. This marked the beginning of a strong resurgence of Catholicism in the region.
In [[1991]], Cardinal [[Miroslav Ivan Lubachivsky]], the exiled head of the Ukrainian Church, was allowed to leave Rome and reside in Lviv. In [[1992]], Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world convened for a synod in the city for the first time in several decades. In the same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyi were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. In July [[1993]], four new dioceses were created.
=== From Restoration to the Present Day ===
=== Restoration ===
In the late 1980s, there was a change in the Soviet government's attitude towards religion. In December 1989, as the fall of [[communism]] was approaching, Ukrainian Greek Catholics were granted the right to register with the government and were allowed to function once again. Nearly all of their parishes prior to 1946 and their properties were in the hands of the Orthodox Church. Supported by Ukrainian nationalist groups, the Greek Catholic Church took a firm stance on the return of its lost properties and parishes, even in cases where there were almost no Catholic faithful left. With the support of local authorities, Ukrainian Catholics gradually reclaimed their former parishes. Most of the parishes in Galicia came under Greek Catholic control during the events of a large-scale interconfessional rivalry that was often accompanied by violent clashes. All of this was the prelude to a strong revival of Catholicism in the region. These tensions led to a rupture in relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Holy See.
Since the exile of Slipyj in 1963, the Archdiocese of Lviv was administered by the ''locum tenens'' [[Vasyl Velyckovskyj]] until his exile to [[Canada]] in 1972, and then by [[Volodymyr Sterniuk]] until 1991 when Cardinal [[Myroslav Iván Lubachivsky]], the exiled primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church since 1984, was authorized to leave Rome and take up residence in Lviv. On January 16, 1991, the surviving clandestine bishops were confirmed by the pope. In 1992, Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops from around the world were summoned to a synod in the same city for the first time in several decades, and that same year, the remains of Cardinal Josyf Slipyj were transferred from Rome to Lviv, where they were buried next to Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. The synod took place between May 16 and 31, 1992, and decided on the creation of four new eparchies in Ukraine: Sambir-Drohobych, Ternopil, Zboriv (all separated from the major archdiocese of Lviv), and Kolomyia-Chernivtsi (separated from Ivano-Frankivsk), which were established on April 20, 1993. The territories of the rest of Ukraine were established as the Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Kiev–Vyshhorod on November 25, 1995.
After the restoration of this Church in Ukraine, the synod of bishops began to meet regularly. The first general [[council]] of Ukrainian Greek Catholics was held in Lviv in October 1996. Due to Cardinal Lubachivsky's poor health, [[Lubomyr Husar]] was appointed ''Administrator of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church''. In August 2000, a new synod held in Buchach decided on the creation of two new eparchies in Ukraine: Stryi and Sokal, while reorganizing the eparchies of Ternopil and Zboriv into the new eparchies of Ternopil-Zboriv and Buchach. Since 2000, the Church's territory was expanded to all of Ukraine, except for the situation of the Mukachevo eparchy. On December 14, 2000, Cardinal Lubachivsky passed away and was succeeded by Lubomyr Husar, who was later created a cardinal.
In June 2001, [[Pope John Paul II]] made an [[Apostolic Journey]] to Ukraine at the invitation of the president and the Greek Catholic and Latin bishops. The main sites of the visit were Kyiv, the national capital, and Lviv. During his visit to Ukraine on June 27, 2001, the pope beatified 27 martyrs and 3 [[Servant of God|Servants of God]] and blessed the new [[Catholic University of Ukraine]].
In 2004, the seat of the Major Archbishop was moved back to Kyiv by Pope [[Benedict XVI]]. On March 27, 2011, [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]] became the new primate.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church embarked on a campaign of liturgical reforms of de-Latinization, which included the removal of [[stations of the cross]], the [[Rosary (Catholicism)|rosary]], and the [[Monstrance (liturgical)|monstrance]] from its liturgy and parishes. This led in 2000 to Father Vasyl Kovpak and a small group of followers opposed to the reforms and ecumenism to organize the [[Priestly Society of Saint Josaphat]], linked to the [[Society of Saint Pius X]]. On November 21, 2007, the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith]] excommunicated Kovpak.<ref>Catholic World News, November 21, 2007. [http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=54919 Ukrainian priest excommunicated]</ref> In 2008, a group of anti-reform priests from the Basilian monastery in Pidhirtsi declared that four of them had been consecrated as bishops without the pope's or Major Archbishop's permission. They were excommunicated in 2008, and in 2009, they formed the [[Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Orthodox Church]].
According to the ''[[Pontifical Yearbook]]'' 2016, by the end of 2015, in the 33 jurisdictions of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, there were: 42 bishops, 3,826 [[parish (religion)|parishes]], 2,973 secular priests, 432 religious priests, 843 religious, 1,371 religious women, 126 permanent [[deacon]]s, and 731 seminarians.<ref name="cnewa_1">{{cite web|url=http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/Roberson-eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|title=Source: The Eastern Catholic Churches (CNEWA)|accessdate=February 18, 2017|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020094357/http://www.cnewa.org/source-images/roberson-Eastcath-statistics/eastcatholic-stat16.pdf|archivedate=October 20, 2016}}</ref>
Currently, this Church has 3,240 parochial communities, 78 monasteries, 755 Sunday schools, 12 educational institutions, 2,721 churches (with 306 more under construction), 16 bishops, 1,976 priests, 590 monks, 729 nuns, and 1,298 seminarians.
=== Calendar reform ===
In 1916, Bishop of Stanislav Hryhoriy (Khomyshyn) introduced the Gregorian calendar after the end of Tsarist occupation over most of Galicia. However, later, due to pressure from Orientalists and Moscow supporters and from [[Andrey (Sheptytsky)|Andrey Sheptytsky]], who had returned from captivity, he was forced to cancel the reform.
Supreme Archbishop [[Svyatoslav (Shevchuk)|Svyatoslav]] stated in December 2020 that the Greek Catholic Church would address the issue of transitioning to the "new style" "together with our Orthodox brothers<ref>{{Cite web|title=In Pursuit of the Sun: Will the Churches Transition to the "New" Calendar?|url=https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/entertainment/2014/01/140113_religion_calendars_ko|website=BBC News Ukraine|date=2014-01-13|accessdate=2022-12-11|language=uk}}</ref>". He also noted that this issue is not doctrinal but aims to heal church divisions, rather than cause new ones, and in his opinion, the transition to celebrating Christmas according to the "new style," i.e., December 25, should occur at the initiative of the laity.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Blessed Svyatoslav Foresees a Transition Period for "Gregorian" Christmas|url=https://zbruc.eu/node/102262|website=Zbruch|date=2020-12-19|accessdate=2022-12-11|language=uk}}</ref> On December 3, 2022, Patriarch [[Svyatoslav (Shevchuk)|Svyatoslav]] mentioned that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has extensive experience transitioning to the Gregorian calendar, as most dioceses and parishes abroad have already celebrated holidays according to the "new style" for a long time. In Ukraine, however, the church is currently studying the possibilities for transition.<ref>{{Cite web|title="'Kolyada Will Become an Anthem of Ukraine's Victory': Head of UGCC on Christmas Celebrations During War|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/kolyada-peretvorytsya-na-gimn-peremogy-ukrayny-dumky-glavy-ugkts-pro-svyatkuvannya-rizdva-v-chas-viyny-1566/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2022-12-10|language=uk}}</ref>
On December 24, 2022, the Supreme Archbishop [[Svyatoslav]] handed a letter to [[Metropolitan Epifaniy (Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine)|Metropolitan Epifaniy]] during an audience, which outlined the views of the hierarchs of the UGCC on the calendar reform. The church leaders decided to establish a joint working group on the specific proposals for the calendar reform.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web|title=During the Meeting of Blessed Svyatoslav and Blessed Epifaniy, They Discussed the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://news.ugcc.ua/data/pid-chas-zustrichi-blazhennishogo-svyatoslava-z-blazhennishym-epifaniem-govoryly-pro-reformu-tserkovnogo-kalendarya-1713/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk|archive-date=2022-12-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224150917/https://news.ugcc.ua/data/pid-chas-zustrichi-blazhennishogo-svyatoslava-z-blazhennishym-epifaniem-govoryly-pro-reformu-tserkovnogo-kalendarya-1713/}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web|title=The Heads of the UGCC and the OCU Meet to Discuss the Calendar Reform|url=https://www.pomisna.info/uk/vsi-novyny/vidbulasya-zustrich-predstoyatelya-ptsu-z-ottsem-i-glavoyu-ugkts/|website=OCU|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref> The joint group was initiated to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the [[First Council of Nicaea|First Ecumenical Council]], which took place in [[Nicaea]] in [[325]] AD. This council, among other things, established the calendar principles of church life.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|title=Heads of the OCU and UGCC Agree to Create a Working Group for the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://www.ukrinform.ua/rubric-society/3640571-glavi-pcu-j-ugkc-domovilisa-stvoriti-robocu-grupu-dla-reformi-cerkovnogo-kalendara.html|website=www.ukrinform.ua|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web|title=OCU and UGCC to Jointly Consider the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://hromadske.ua/posts/pcu-ta-ugkc-spilno-rozglyanut-reformu-cerkovnogo-kalendarya|website=hromadske.ua|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite web|title=The Heads of UGCC and OCU Discussed the Church Calendar Reform|url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/predstoyateli-ugkc-ta-pcu-obgovorili-reformu-cerkovnogo-kalendarya-2230087.html|website=TSN.ua|date=2022-12-24|accessdate=2022-12-24|language=uk}}</ref>
On February 1–2, 2023, in [[Lviv|Lviv]]-[[Bryukhovychi|Bryukhovychi]], the [[Synod of the UGCC|Synod of the UGCC]] decided that from September 1, 2023, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in [[Ukraine]] would adopt the new style ([[Gregorian calendar]]) for fixed holidays, while maintaining the Julian Paschalion. This was announced by [[Supreme Archbishop]] Svyatoslav on February 6, 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Historic Decision: UGCC in Ukraine Switches to the New Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/istorychne-rishennya-ugkts-v-ukrayni-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2056/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-02-06|language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Adopts New Calendar: Details of the Historic Decision|url=https://tsn.ua/ukrayina/ukrayinska-greko-katolicka-cerkva-perehodit-na-noviy-kalendar-podrobici-istorichnogo-rishennya-2259325.html|website=TSN.ua|date=2023-02-06|accessdate=2023-02-06|language=uk}}</ref> Following the UGCC in Ukraine, the decision to switch to the new style was made by the [[Przemyśl–Warsaw Metropolitan Archdiocese|UGCC in Poland]] on February 6<ref>{{Cite web|title=UGCC in Poland Also Adopts the New Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-u-polshchi-takozh-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2068/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-03-22|language=uk}}</ref>, [[Melbourne Eparchy of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul UGCC|UGCC in Australia and Oceania]] on March 22<ref name=":92">{{Cite web|title=UGCC in Australia and Oceania Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-v-avstraliy-ta-okeaniy-perehodyt-na-grygorianskyy-kalendar-2387/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-03-22|language=uk}}</ref>, [[Apostolic Exarchate in Germany and Scandinavia|UGCC in Germany and Scandinavia]] on April 22<ref name=":122">{{Cite web|title=Apostolic Exarchate Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ukrainische-kirche.eu/news/apostolskyy-ekzarhat-perehodyt-na-grygorianskyy-kalendar-294/|website=Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians of Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia|accessdate=2023-04-23|language=uk}}</ref>, [[London Eparchy of the Holy Family|UGCC in the United Kingdom]] on June 9<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|title=Holy Family Eparchy in London Switches to Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/eparhiya-presvyatoy-rodyny-v-londoni-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-2899/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-06-09|language=uk}}</ref>, and [[North America UGCC]] on December 25, 2023.<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|title=UGCC in North America Adopts Gregorian Calendar|url=https://ugcc.ua/data/ugkts-v-severniy-americi-perehodyt-na-novyy-kalendar-3365/|website=Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church|accessdate=2023-12-23|language=uk}}</ref>
== Jurisdictions ==
* Major Archeparch of [[Kyiv]] - [[Galicia]] and All Russia (in [[Ukraine]]), from which the following archebishops' exarchates depend:
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Crimea|Crimea]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Donetsk|Donetsk]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Kharkiv|Kharkiv]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Odessa|Odessa]]
** [[Archbishop Exarchate of Lutsk|Lutsk]]
* ''Metropolitan Archeparchies:''
** [[Kyiv]] - Vyshhorod (also Apostolic Visitor to [[Kazakhstan]] and [[Central Asia]]). United to the major archeparchy of [[Kyiv]] - Halych. Its suffragan eparchies include:
*** [[Lviv]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Buchach]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Ivano-Frankivsk]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Kolomyia]] - [[Chernivtsi]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Sambir]] - Drohobych (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Sokal]] - [[Yovkva]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Stril]] (in [[Ukraine]])
*** [[Ternopil]] - Zboriv (in [[Ukraine]])
** [[Curitiba]] (in [[Brazil]]) with the suffragan eparchy of:
*** Immaculate Conception in Prudentópolis (in [[Brazil]])
** [[Philadelphia]] (in [[United States]]) with the suffragan eparchies of:
*** St. Josaphat in Parma (in the [[United States]])
*** St. Nicholas in [[Chicago]] ([[United States]])
*** Stamford ([[United States]])
** Przemyśl - [[Warsaw]] (in [[Poland]]) with the suffragan eparchy of:
*** [[Wrocław]] - [[Gdańsk]] (in [[Poland]])
** [[Winnipeg]] (in [[Canada]]) with the suffragan eparchies of:
*** [[Edmonton]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[New Westminster]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[Saskatoon]] (in [[Canada]])
*** [[Toronto]] (in [[Canada]])
* ''Eparchies:'
** [[St. Peter]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] in [[Melbourne]] (in [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], and [[Oceania]]) suffragan to the Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of [[Melbourne]]
** [[Holy Virgin of Protection]] in [[Buenos Aires]] (in [[Argentina]]) suffragan to the Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese of [[Buenos Aires]]
** [[Holy Family]] in [[London]] ([[United Kingdom]]).
** [[St. Vladimir the Great]] in [[Paris]] ([[France]]).
* ''Apostolic Exarchates:''
** [[Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]] (in [[Germany]], [[Finland]], [[Sweden]], and [[Norway]])
* ''Titular Seats:''
** Kamenets
* ''Religious Orders:''
** [[Basilian Order of St. Josaphat]]
** [[Ukrainian Studite Monks]]
On January 14, 2013, the pope appointed an Apostolic Visitor for Ukrainian faithful in [[Uruguay]], [[Paraguay]], [[Chile]], and [[Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=9c8cb8db-58c8-3266-873a-50f405decbd1&dl_t=text%2Fxml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1 |title=Vatican Information Service |accessdate=2021-03-07 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811012918/http://www.vis.va/vissolr/index.php?vi=all&dl=9c8cb8db-58c8-3266-873a-50f405decbd1&dl_t=text%2Fxml&dl_a=y&ul=1&ev=1 |archivedate=2014-08-11}}</ref>
== Primates ==
; Metropolitans of [[Kyiv]] (1596-1838):
* Mikhailo Rohoza (1596-1599)
* Ipatii Potii (1600-1613)
* Iosif Veliamin Rutski (1613-1637)
* Rafakhil Korsak (1637-1640)
* Antin Sielava (1641-1655)
* Havrïil Kolenda (1666-1674)
* Kyprian Zotxovskikh (1674-1693)
* Lev Szlubic-Zalenskikh (1694-1708)
* Yurikh Vinnickikh (1708-1713)
* Lev Luka Kiszka (1714-1729)
* Athanasius Heptitsky (1729-1746)
* Florian Hrebnicki (1748-1762)
* Felix Filipp Volodkovich (1762-1778)
* Ludovik Lev Heptitski (1778-1779)
* Iason Smogorkhevski (1780-1786)
* Theodor Rostotski ([[1787]] - [[1805]])
* [[Irakli Lissovski]] ([[1808]] - [[1809]])
* [[Hryhori Kokhanovych]] (1809 - [[1814]])
* [[Iosafat Bulhak]] ([[1818]] - [[1838]])
; Metropolitans of [[Lviv]] (1838-1984):
* [[Mikhakhlo Levitski]] (1838 - [[1858]])
* [[Hryhori Yakhimovych]] ([[1859]] - [[1866]])
* [[Spiridon Litvinovych]] (1866 - [[1869]])
* [[Iosif Sembratovich]] ([[1870]] - [[1882]])
* [[Sylvester Sembratovich]] (1882 - [[1898]])
* [[Iulian Sas-Kulovsky]] ([[1899]] - [[1900]])
* [[Andrei Heptitsky]] (1900 - [[1944]])
* [[Iosif Slipiy]] (1944 - [[1984]])
; Major Archbishops of Lviv (1984-2005):
* [[Miroslav Ivan Lubachivsky]] (1984 [[- 2000]])
* [[Lubomyr Husar]] (2000 - [[2005]])
; Major Archbishops of Kyiv-Halych (2005-):
* [[Lubomyr Husar]] (2005 - [[2011]])
* [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]] (2011-)
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Ukraine]]
[[Category:Byzantine Rite]]