V Session of the UGCC Patriarchal Sobor to be held in Brazil

The V Session of the Patriarchal Sobor (Council) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church will be held in Prudentopolis, Brazil, from 31 August till 4 September. The theme of the Sobor is “Vocation to religious life”.   His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), the Head of the UGCC, in an interview to journalists called the Sobor a very important all-church meeting gathering together bishops, priests, religious and lay people from all the Eparchies of our Church all around the world.   It is well known that such Sobors take place in the UGCC every five years. The last Sobor was dedicated to the theme “Youth in the Church of the III Millennium”.   “Now the whole Church will be reflecting upon the theme “Vocation to religious life”, for the Church dedicated this year precisely to the vocation to religious life. What religious life is about, what it should be like, what the Church expects from monks and nuns, i. e. from those who dedicated themselves entirely to God – these are the issues which will be discussed during the Sobor” – noted the Head of the UGCC.   According to the UGCC Primate, it is noteworthy that this session of the Sobor will be held outside of Ukraine – in Brazil. “The set up of the Ukrainian Church in Latin America was carried out precisely be religious people – Basilian and Salesian Fathers, Basilian Sisters and Sisters Servants. That was the strength of our Church which during the last century served the Ukrainians in remote areas. Today we would like to think once again on the content and thus on the forms of life of religious people” – explicated His Beatitude Sviatoslav.   He also shared his expectations from the Sobor: “I would like that during this Sobor the whole Church grasped the value of vocation to religious life, since it has always been the strength and the nucleus of our Church. We are all aware of the role of religious in sanctification of the Church. Monasteries have always been a seat of religious life. Some Fathers of the Church called monastic life “lungs” of the Church which day and night prays for the Church and thus sacrifices its life in ascetic upheaval in order to sanctify spiritual community. Ascetism is one of the constituents of vocation to religious life” – stresses out the Head of the UGCC.   Another constituent is educational ministry, that is the religious people have always been bearers of the Word of God. The UGCC Primate will deliver a report on intellectual upbringing of religious people.   The third constituent of monastic life, singled out be the Head of the UGCC, is social one, i.e. ministry to the most needy and unprotected members of our society. “Actually monks and nuns carry out this ministry nowadays, but we must define the way in which it will be the most efficient,” – summed up His Beatitude Sviatoslav.   On 31 August there will be a solemn inauguration of the Sobor. On 1 September the delegates of the Sobor will be discussing a topic “God’s vocation” and on 2 September – “Mission of religious people”. The third day will be dedicated to the theme “Formation of religious people”. The Sobor will be concluded on 4 September with a Divine Liturgy after which the Bishops will move to Curitiba where 5 September will start a meeting of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.   UGCC Information Department