On August 26-29, 2020, the 7th Session of the Patriarchal (All-Church) Council of the UGCC will be held in Lviv devoted to “Emigration, Settlements and Global Unity of the UGCC,” called by His Beatitude Sviatoslav. Therefore, during this year’s Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in Rome, Fr. Dr. Roman Shafran, Secretary of the Council, told the bishops about the process of preparing for this momentous event in the life of the Church.
“The staff of the Council’s secretariat and organizing committee were approved, as well as the charter, coat of arms, and motto. We leave the coat of arms of the previous sessions and the motto will be “The Church is with you always and everywhere,” said Fr. Dr. Roman Shafran in a comment for the UGCC Information Department.
He also told us how the event will occur: “On the first day, we will listen one to another, then – reflect on what we have heard, later – pray, because on that day we will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. And on the fourth day, we will act, that is, finally discuss and approve of the resolutions.”
“Subsequently, the bishops will return to their dioceses, and each of them will hold diocesan councils on this topic, having received some directions before. We, as members of the Secretariat, will go to them and attend meetings with them to see their lives from inside. They will decide on the resolutions and submit them to the Secretariat. They will also elect delegates to the Patriarchal Council. Moreover, delegates from countries where there are no official structures of the UGCC will be invited to the Council, too,” said Fr. Roman Shafran.
We would like to add that, in the opinion of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, this session of the Patriarchal Council will be a tool to help formulate the strategy of the UGCC for the next decade. Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, representatives of the clergy and institutes of the consecrated life, rectors of spiritual seminaries, laymen of dioceses and exarchates from Ukraine and abroad are invited to participate in the Council.
Department of Information of the UGCC