Resolutions of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

To the Glory of the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-giving and Undivided Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

DECREE

I, MYKOLA,

Bishop of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne,

Hereby declare

That the following Resolutions of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which took place in Rome on the 3-13 September, in the year of Our Lord 2023 are of special significance and as such should be understood and applied by the clergy, religious and faithful for the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.

I. To ensure proper pastoral care for victims of war:

1) To encourage forced emigrants from Ukraine to integrate into the society of the country of their current residence, warning them against total assimilation that leads to the forgetting of their own national and spiritual and cultural roots, and always to be mindful of an eventual return to their homeland.

2) To call on the faithful of the UGCC, who are abroad, not to stop witnessing the truth about Ukraine among the peoples of their current residence and to make efforts for the long-term support of the Ukrainian people and the exchange of cultural and spiritual gifts.

II. Ask eparchial bishops:

1) In order to fulfill the mission of the Church - to carry the Word of God and the Holy Sacraments – to create new centres to provide pastoral care for Ukrainians forced to migrate due to the war.

2) To develop cooperation with Roman Catholic dioceses and local Catholic structures responsible for the pastoral care of migrants and refugees.

3) In the ongoing formation of clergy, to pay special attention to improve the pastoral support of forced emigrants and displaced persons.

4) To foster in pastors, religious and lay people of the UGCC the awareness of the missionary nature of the Church and to provide them with proper training for the development of evangelical and missionary activities of the Church, which will enable them to find and minister to Ukrainian refugees scattered in different countries of the world.

5) To encourage priests to serve in military, medical and academic chaplaincy, ensuring their proper training, in cooperation with the central structures of the UGCC and relevant institutions of the local Roman Catholic Church.

6) Foster a deep and sincere relationships with priests, providing them with the necessary spiritual support; and to pay special attention to those clergy who are experiencing various life crises and difficulties.

7) To assist the church in its mission to evangelise and catechise, the development of eparchial media resources must be promoted.

III. To entrust to the clergy:

1) To foster pastoral openness to each person; to create an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in pastoral work with refugees, responding to the call of the Holy Father, which concerns the synodal path – “to expand the space of our tent” (cf. Is. 54, 2).

2) Pay special attention to evangelisation, catechisation, and spiritual care of unchurched Ukrainians, using new pastoral approaches and methods to heal the wounds of war and deepen the spiritual life of members of parish communities, in particular forced emigrants.

3) To develop youth ministry for better spiritual support of children and youth, using social networks and modern methods of evangelisation and catechesis.

4) To bring the face of a loving God closer through works of mercy, creating effective charitable communities in parishes.

5) Together with forced emigrants from Ukraine to nurture spirituality and Ukrainian culture in their new places of residence.

6) To invite newly arrived forced emigrants to participate more and more actively in the life and mission of our church communities (donation of time, talents, treasure) up to the involvement of properly prepared and churched among them to cooperate in parish councils and other structures.

7) To serve Divine Liturgies on all Souls days of the liturgical year and on other appropriate occasions for fallen defenders of Ukraine and victims of Russian aggression.

8) To encourage clerics from outside Ukraine to create Ukrainian schools, pastoral or cultural centres at parishes for newly arrived forced emigrants using all available modern means of communication, to popularise existing centres to support the faith, tradition, culture, and language of the Motherland.

9) To encourage the faithful of the UGCC to give a good Christian witness to Ukrainian forced emigrants and to show them hospitality.

10) To add to the Church Calendar of the UGCC saints of the Catholic Churches: Venerable Father John Bosco (31 January); Blessed Edigna (26 February); Venerable Father Anthony of Padua (13 June); Blessed Hieromartyr Pavlo Goydych (17 July); Blessed Hieromartyr Vasyl Hopko (23 July); Venerable Charbel (24 July); Venerable Alphonsus Liguori (1 August); Venerable Mother Teresa of Calcutta (5 September); Holy Father John Paul II, Pope (22 October).

11) To celebrate the feast of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Feast of Christ, Lover of Mankind as one-day feasts, without pre-feast days and post-feast days. Transfer the feast of All Saints of the Ukrainian Nation to the second Sunday after the Descent of the Holy Spirit (Pentecost).

† MYKOLA BYCHOK, CSsR 
Eparch of Melbourne

Rev Deacon Michael Zylan, 
Chancellor

Given in Melbourne 
at our Cathedral of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, 
on the 13^th day of October, in the Year of Our Lord 2023,
 the Holy Martyrs Carpus, Papilus and Agathonicus