Overview of the 52nd session of the Synod of Bishops of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the UGCC

The 52nd session of the Synod of Bishops of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was held in Lviv-Bryukhovychi on November 23-24, 2010. All Ukrainian Greek-Catholic bishops who work in Ukraine and the Apostolic Administrator of the Buchach Eparchy of the UGCC were in attendance. During the session, work was continued on drafting the regulations on records and the first draft of the regulations on book publishing in the Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric was reviewed. The members of the synod recommended taking appropriate measures to explain to the faithful the rules of publishing religious literature. In addition, appropriate guidelines to further the project of creating a national UGCC publication was discussed and adopted. In light of pension reform in Ukraine, the activity of the nongovernmental pension fund Pokrova was shared.  The bishops encourage clergy and faithful of the Church to become members of the fund. In addition, a report was given on the activities of the Patriarchal Pilgrimage Center of the Church and prospects of its activities. Among the invited speakers at the synod was Mr. Basil Kostytsky, head of the National Expert Commission on the protection of public moral. He reported on possible cooperation of the committee with divisions of the Kyiv-Halych High Archdiocese of the Church. Moreover, the bishops discussed the question about a seminary for people from different regions of Ukraine who were called to the priesthood at a later age. The synod heard reports on the state the construction of the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection in Kyiv; on the meeting of Episcopal Conferences of Europe, which was held in Zagreb, on September 30 to October 3, 2010; on the Pontifical Synod that was held in Rome on October 10 to 24, 2010; on meeting of All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, which was held on  November 4, 2010; on the possibility of cooperating with the Union of Christian Writers of Ukraine; and on the activities of the Hope Center for pastoral care for persons with hearing impairments. The 53rd session of the Synod of Bishops of the Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will be held in February 2011.

Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops
of Kyiv-Halych Major Archbishopric of the UGCC