All who believe in Jesus Christ are called to evangelization

"Every Christian is called to evangelize (to preach to the world Jesus Christ, and also His Gospel, with the purpose of carrying out the salvation of man – editor), not only by word and preaching, but first of all by one’s own life, so that neighbors who surround us see from our acts that we are indeed children of a loving Father." So said His Beatitude Lubomyr, Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych, in his introductory word for the opening of the Sobor [Council] of the Kyiv Archeparchy on the theme of evangelization. The motto of the Sobor, which took place on February 13-14 in Kyiv, was the words: "To accept Christ, to live Christ, to witness Christ." "All need evangelization, and that is why we have to witness! This does not mean that we have to preach and go out on the squares. This is not obligatory. The main thing is with our own lives to pass on this gift, to show that God loves us," the Head of the UGCC said. Evangelization was the main theme of the Patriarchal Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church which took place in Lviv-Bryukhovychi on September 2-9, 2008. Precisely this Synod in its 20th decision as part of the preparation for the Patriarchal Synod of 2009, the theme of which also will be evangelization, determined that at the beginning of Lent every eparchy and every exarchate will conduct a local sobor on the theme of evangelization. These sobors are to prepare short-term and long-term (5- to 10-year) plans for the evangelization of the eparchy/exarchate. All these plans have to be approved by the Patriarchal Commission on Questions of Evangelization which, on the basis of the collected materials, has to present to the Patriarchal Synod of 2009 suggestions in relation to the long-term plan of evangelization of the UGCC.  "The Church, preaching in the name of Jesus Christ, has to direct its activity to human and spiritual-moral necessities, accepting each one as he is and casting aside nobody. This means that the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in the territories of eastern and central Ukraine has to know not only the historical past but also modern terms and necessities on the basis of which it has to construct its pastoral activity. In this context the paths of evangelization will acquire relevance in every parish community," the delegates of the Sobor of the Kyiv Archeparchy announced, developing resolutions.

Information Department of the UGCC