DECREE

To the glory of the Holy, Consubstantial, Life-Giving, and Indivisible Trinity,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and for the good of the entrusted God’s people. Amen

BY DIVINE GRACE

AND IN FULL COMMUNION WITH THE ROMAN APOSTOLIC SEE

SVIATOSLAV,

Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church

To the Most Reverend Bishops,

Reverend Fathers, Venerable Monks and Nuns, and the laity of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church

I DECLARE AND PUBLISH

THE DECISIONS

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

Zarvanytsia, July 2–12, 2024

  1. Take note of the status of the implementation of the decisions of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2023.
  2. Bless the continuation of the work of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC on the updated text of the Great Archieratikon and the Archierarchical Book of Needs, and to involve Bishops Ihor Isichenko, Hlib Lonchyna, and Ivan Kulyk.
  3. Bless the continuation of the work of the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC on the updated text of the Book of Needs.
  4. Following the review of the updated Horologion project:
  1. Express gratitude to the Order of Saint Basil the Great for preparing the Prayer Book and caring for the liturgical heritage of our Church.
  2. Create a working group consisting of representatives from the Order of Saint Basil the Great and the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission of the UGCC to prepare an updated edition of the Horologion.
  3. Bless the concept of adapting the Horologion to the liturgical texts approved by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
  1. Approve the appointment of Bishop Mykhailo Kvyatkovsky as the head of the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission of the UGCC.
  2. Approve granting the Commission of the UGCC on Family and Laity Patriarchal status.
  3. Approve the appointment of Bishop Arkadii Trokhanyovskyi as the head of the Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC on Family and Laity.
  4. Approve granting the Commission of the UGCC on Youth Patriarchal status.
  5. Approve the appointment of Bishop Brian Baida as the head of the Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC on Youth.
  6. Approve granting the Council for Evangelization under the Head of the UGCC the status of a Patriarchal commission.
  7. Approve the appointment of Bishop Josaphat Moschich as the head of the Patriarchal Commission of the UGCC for Evangelization.
  8. Approve the creation of the Jubilee 2025 Committee.
  9. Approve the appointment of Bishop Yaroslav Pryriz as the head of the Jubilee 2025 Committee.
  10. Approve the appointment of Fr. Teodosii Hren, OSBM, as the deputy head of the Jubilee 2025 Committee.
  11. Approve the appointment of Bishop Bohdan Manishyn as the head of the Department of Military Chaplaincy of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC.
  12. Take note of the report of the Justice Department on the state of judicial proceedings in the UGCC.
  13. Establish the honor of the Father and Head of the UGCC for clergy: “Order of Blessed Priest-Martyr Omelyan Kovch.”
  14. Approve the Statute of the Order of the Father and Head of the UGCC for clergy: “Order of Blessed Priest-Martyr Omelyan Kovch,” with amendments and corrections.
  15. Amend the Statute of the UGCC Priest Solidarity Fund.
  16. Introduce the title “Social Ministry” into the structure of the Code of Canons of the UGCC.
  17. Take note of the progress on the Code of Canons of the UGCC.
  18. Take note of the report on the activities of the Social Ministry Department of the UGCC during the war.
  19. Take note of the report on the activities of the Caritas Ukraine Charitable Foundation.
  20. Take note of the progress of the program for clergy “Healing the Wounds of War.”
  21. For the fulfillment of the evangelization mission of the UGCC:
  1. At the general Church level:
  2. Encourage UGCC faithful:
  1. to transmit the faith and give witness to Christian life within the family;
  2. according to decision 7, G, 3 of the Synod of Bishops of 2015 and decision 6, V, 3 of the Synod of Bishops of 2018, to read the Word of God daily (e.g., the Gospel of the day);
  3. to cultivate the practice of family communal prayer;
  4. to hold a family meal and share the Divine Word heard in church on Sundays after the Divine Liturgy.
  1. Entrust the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization:
  1. to create “Schools of Evangelization” at monasteries, pilgrimage sites, church educational institutions, and parishes, aligning with the spiritual tradition of the UGCC and conducting activities under the guidance of the Diocesan Commission for Evangelization according to the program of the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization;
  2. to refine the evangelization program “We Want to See Jesus”;
  3. to publish academic materials on evangelization and the preparation of kerygmatic sermons;
  4. to prepare a course on kerygmatic proclamation for inclusion in seminary education and ongoing priestly formation;
  5. to prepare a course on kerygmatic proclamation of the Gospel for military chaplains (priests, consecrated persons, and laypeople).
  1. Entrust the Patriarchal Catechetical Commission to update the Program for prayerful reading of the Holy Scriptures with commentaries for daily use in families and parish Bible study groups and communities.
  2. Entrust the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission to continue the series of brief explanatory texts for clergy on all services, church rites, and our traditions in an evangelistic context.
  3. Entrust the Patriarchal Commission for Monastic Affairs to recommend to the major superiors of institutes of consecrated life that annual retreats for consecrated persons have a kerygmatic dimension.
  4. At the metropolitan level, request the metropolitans, in collaboration with the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization, to organize inter-diocesan formation courses for communities and schools involved in evangelization within the metropolitan territory.

III. At the eparchial level:

  1. Request eparchial bishops:
  1. to establish, where not yet done, a commission for evangelization in the eparchies;
  2. to introduce into ongoing priestly formation a special course on kerygmatic proclamation according to the program of the Patriarchal Commission for Evangelization of the UGCC;
  3. to ensure that annual retreats for priests and their wives have a kerygmatic dimension;
  4. to foster healthy popular piety through prayer vigils, pilgrimages, church singing, and explanations of the significance of icons for a deeper understanding of our spirituality;
  5. to organize the canonical status of existing lay communities and schools involved in evangelization in the eparchies (deaneries, parishes) and oversee their formation.
  1. Entrust the heads of eparchial commissions for evangelization to involve properly prepared laypeople in evangelization projects in the eparchy.
  2. Entrust seminary rectors to introduce a section on kerygmatic preaching into the homiletics course and ensure that the instructor has personal experience in such preaching.
  3. Instruct clergy:
  1. in the context of the Jubilee 2025 celebration, to use every opportunity for kerygmatic proclamation of the Gospel;
  2. according to decision 7, G, 1 of the Synod of Bishops of 2015, to deliver a short daily kerygmatic sermon in church based on the texts of the Gospel and Epistle read at the Divine Liturgy;
  3. to regularly conduct prayerful reading of the Holy Scriptures in the parish community;
  4. to start all parish community meetings with reading and brief commentary on the text of the Holy Scriptures;
  5. according to decision 7, D, 3 of the Synod of Bishops of 2012, to regularly explain to the faithful the liturgy, church rites, and traditions in an evangelistic context based on the materials developed by the Patriarchal Liturgical Commission;
  6. according to decision 7, G, 1 of the Synod of Bishops of 2012, during the celebration of the Holy Mysteries, the performance of para-liturgical services, blessings, and consecrations (needs), to evangelize and proclaim the Word of God;
  7. to encourage existing and, if necessary, to create new parish communities for receiving and supporting newly evangelized and newly converted persons for their growth in faith; to direct the training of animators for these communities to the eparchial commission for evangelization;
  8. to encourage existing and create new parish communities for praying for the preachers of the Gospel and for the development of the evangelization mission of our Church;
  9. to conduct annual parish kerygmatic retreats and missions, involving individuals with such experience;
  10. to evangelize through acts of mercy, providing help to those in need.
  1. Take into account the report on the activities of the ” Anrew’s Pence” fund.
  2. Take into account the report on the activities of the UGCC Mission Fund.
  3. Take into account the report on the activities of the UGCC Priests Solidarity Fund.
  4. Take into account the report on the activities of the UGCC Patriarchal Foundation “Wise Deed.”
  5. Take into account the report on the development of military chaplaincy in Ukraine.
  6. Take into account the report on the activities of the Pastoral Council of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC.
  7. Take into account the summary reports of the commissions and departments of the Patriarchal level for the past year.
  8. Take into account the report on the youth apostolate in the UGCC.
  9. Take into account the report on cooperation with the Papal Commission for New Martyrs – Witnesses of Faith.
  10. Take into account the report on the activities and mission of the Ukrainian Catholic University.
  11. Take into account the report on the beatification process of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky.
  12. Take into account the report on the activities of the “House of Transfiguration.”
  13. Take into account the information on the care and dignified accompaniment of the bishop
  14. Approve the Instruction on the presence of church structures, institutions, clergy, and religious in the UGCC in Ukraine on the internet.
  15. Adopt the text of the Post-Synodal Letter of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC for 2024 with the amendments and additions.
  16. Hold the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in July 2025.
  17. Set the main theme for the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2025 as “Pastoral Care of the Family in the time of war.”
  18. Assign Bishop Arkadiy Trokhanozsky and the Patriarchal Commission for Family and Laity of the UGCC to be responsible for preparing the main theme.
  19. Adopt the Communiqué of the Synod of Bishops 2024.

† SVIATOSLAV,

Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

† ANDRIY KHIMIAK,

Secretary of the Synod of Bishops Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Given in Kyiv, at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, on the feast of Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles, Great Prince Volodymyr, named Basil in holy Baptism, and the holy martyrs Cyricus and Julitta,

July 15, 2024

Unofficial Translation