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Bishop Nominee Stepan Sus: Many people for the first time have come to confession, got married, or baptized their children thanks to Facebook

On Sunday, January 12, 2020, at 11:00, the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy with the Rite of Episcopal Ordination will begin in Kyiv, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ. Stepan Sus will be ordained as Titular Bishop of Zygris and Curial Bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv–Halychyna

On the eve of this historic event for the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the youngest Catholic bishop in the world spoke with Zhyve TV about his feelings, future responsibilities, and what a good bishop should be.

“Episcopal consecration is a truly unexpected event for me. Of course, I feel awe, even fear, because I am human. I do not know what will happen next, but at the same time I live with great trust in God and, like St. Ignatius of Loyola, repeat the words: “All for the greater glory of God,” said bishop nominee Stepan Sus.

In his view, a good bishop is first and foremost a person who gathers around himself people who are not yet in the Church, who do not yet believe in God, who doubt or are still seeking their own path.

According to the clergyman, the bishop should be open and accessible. He is convinced that it is extremely important to be close to people. It is precisely such qualities as openness and accessibility that will secure a good future for our Church.

“Many people have come to confession, got married, or baptized their children thanks to Facebook … So social networks bring us closer to people. Of course, in this area, one must observe moral hygiene in order not to get lost. We should use the Internet for good cause. I will continue to do what I did: post photographs, write guidelines and encouragement for all of us, greet people with birthday etc,” said the  bishop nominee Stepan Sus on the importance and proper use of social networks.

As we have informed, on November 15, 2019, in the Vatican, it was announced that the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, having received the prior consent of the Pope, made the canonical election of Father Stepan Sus, priest of the Archeparchy of Lviv, as Curial Bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv–Halychyna. He has been assigned the Titular See of Zygris.

The UGCC Department for Information