His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar: Today UGCC lacks missionary experience and 'missionary spirit'

The church must be ready to serve, Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar) said during a meeting with the Greek Catholic missionaries, the pastoral missionary department informs.

Former Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church told the priests about the history of Ukrainian missionary work and shared his thoughts on modern Greek Catholic Missiology.

Patriarch Lubomyr calls missionaries to be open to others and not afraid of contemporary challenges. "People should be aware that our church is built within the Ukrainian community, but Ukrainians are ready to embrace people of other nationalities," said the retired archbishop.

According to Cardinal Lubomyr today the UGCC lacks the missionary experience and the "missionary spirit." He also adds that today the UGCC is to awaken its "missionary spirit" not only among priests and religious but also among the faithful.

The key to successful missionary work is a sense of God's love and desire to share with others the truth about God's love. "If I am not convinced that God loves me, I cannot help anything. My neighbor has to see it in me. Today the church has to work with nominal Christians - those who rarely come to church," said His Beatitude Lubomyr.

Missionaries of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church took part in the workshop "The theoretical and Practical Mission of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the Universal Church." Over three days, the missionaries met with the head of the UGCC Patriarch Svyatoslav, the Chairman of the Department for Pastoral Care Bishop Joseph (Milian), theologians and experts in the field of pastoral care for migrants.