Roman and Geek Catholic Bishops Held Joint Meeting

KYIV – On May 20, 2010, after the retreat in Vorzel, in the Kyiv region, a joint meeting of the Roman and Greek Catholic bishops was held. Afterward the hierarchs discuss issues concerning both churches. The meeting was attended by the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Lubomyr (Husar), and the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic.

According to the Catholic Media Center, the meeting began with a joint mass followed by addresses of the head of the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops in Ukraine, Archbishop Mieczyslav Mokrzytski and Patriarch Lubomyr.

In his speech, the apostolic nuncio drew the audience’s attention to the role of the priesthood in the church and called every priest to become like Christ. He said that even bishops living in the modern world should become like the holy priests referred to by the church for centuries as examples of holiness.

“We, the bishops, are vested with a great responsibility, to create favorable conditions for priests to develop their priestly ministry. These are important conditions without which the church cannot live or develop in unity.  It is important for us not to drift apart from the main wish that is to sanctify our life. It is good to see how eagerly you accepted this responsibility by attending the joint meetings which enrich us all. Let us thank God and be sure that along this way the church will grow and the priest will have a deeper vision of their own mission, that is to serve the church and people.” After the report of the Apostolic Nuncio, the hierarchs held a joint discussion of church issues, where the “priesthood” was the main theme.

On May 21 separate sessions of the two episcopates will be held.