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Last Updated: 07 April 2023

vatican.va - The Holy Father has erected the apostolic administration for faithful of Byzantine rite in Belarus, appointing the Reverend Archimandrite Jan Sergiusz Gajek, M.I.C., until now apostolic visitator for the same faithful, as apostolic administrator without episcopal rank of the same ecclesiastical circumscription.

Curriculum vitae

The Reverend Archimandrite Jan Sergiusz Gajek, M.I.C., was born on 8 February 1949 in Łyszkowice, Poland. In 1963 he received his middle school diploma in Łyszkowice, and four years later, he graduated from high school in Łowicz. He subsequently entered the Congregation of Marian Clerics, assuming the monastic name Sergiusz.

From 1967 to 1974 he studied at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic University of Lublin and later at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, where he was awarded a doctorate in 1983. On 15 August 1973 he gave his religious vows in the Congregation of Marian Clerics, and was ordained a priest on 23 June the following year.

After ordination he provided pastoral service in the Latin parish of Głuchołazy, and collaborated with the Byzantine parish of Kostomłoty. From 1983 to 1999 he taught theology of the Eastern Churches at the Ecumenical Institute of the Catholic University of Lublin. In 1993, Pope John Paul II appointed him apostolic visitator for the Greek-Catholic faithful in Belarus. In 1996, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite.

Historical background on the Catholic communities of the Byzantine rite in Belarus

The Catholic community of the Byzantine rite in Belarus is heir to the union of Brest, dating back to 1596.

In 1798, the eparchy of Minsk (of the Ruthenians) was erected, which, in 1839, was impeded, but was never suppressed. The Pontifical Yearbook mentioned it until 1924. In 1939 the Belarusian Exarchate was erected by Metropolitan Andriy Sheptysky, archbishop of Lviv, who was confirmed as apostolic administrator by Pope Pius XII in 1941. This office remained vacant in 1943. In 1988, the faithful began to reorganize, continuing with the civil registration of parishes. Since 1993 they have been entrusted to the pastoral care of the Most Reverend Archimandrite Sergiusz Gajek, M.IC., as apostolic visitator ad nutum Sanctae Sedis.

There are currently about 5,000 faithful, organized in 16 parishes and assisted by 16 priests and 3 deacons. There are 4 seminarians.

30.03.2023

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Last Updated: 24 February 2023

ugcc.ua - February 24, 2023, there will be a day of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in all eparchies and exarchates of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church throughout the world. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, announced this initiative on behalf of the Synod of Bishops.

February 24 will mark a year since the beginning of the full-scale Russian war against Ukraine. According to the decision of the bishops of the UGCC, the entire Church will spend this day in fasting, prayer, and works of mercy.

12-hour prayer marathon beginning February 24 at 12:00 pm Kyiv time on zhyve.tv will unite in prayer the faithful on all continents. There are no specific fasting guidelines — the faithful choose their own restrictions and self-discipline.

“Let this day be an opportunity for us to do good for someone: to comfort the afflicted, to clothe the naked, to warm those who are freezing, to feed the hungry,” explained His Beatitude Sviatoslav the importance of not merely prayer and fasting but also works of mercy.

Let us offer our spiritual efforts and our prayers for the victory of the Ukrainian people in this unequal battle, as well as for our army,” noted the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

Link to full story: https://ugcc.ua/en/data/the-ugcc-declared-a-solemn-day-of-fasting-prayer-and-almsgiving-220/

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Last Updated: 15 February 2023

vatican.va - The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Fr. Michel Jalakh, O.A.M., until now rector of the Antonine University in Baabda, Lebanon, as secretary of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches.

Curriculum vitae

The Reverend Fr. Michel Jalakh was born on 27 August 1966 in Baouchrieh, Lebanon. On 15 August he gave his first religious vows in the Antonin Maronite Order, and on 21 April 1991 he was ordained a priest. From December 2000 to July 2008 he served as an officer in the former Congregation for the Eastern Churches. He was awarded a doctorate in ecclesiology from the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome, Italy, in 2008. From 2013 to 2018 he was secretary general of the Middle East Council of Churches and a member of the Commission for Ecumenical Relations o the Catholic Patriarchs’ and Bishops’ Assembly in Lebanon. He is a teacher at the Antonine University in Baabda, of which he became rector in 2017.

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Last Updated: 14 February 2023

Salihiya, Lebanon | February 6, 2023

Lord, have mercy on your people and save us from the horrors of earthquake!

With sorrowful hearts, tearful eyes, and supplicatory hands, we accompany the horrific news of the earthquake that struck our region, especially Syria, as well as the north and south of Turkey and Iskenderun, home of the city of Antioch, the Great City of God.

We are consoled by the co-operation, solidarity, love, assistance, fraternity, patriotism, humanity, and fellowship manifesting themselves at their finest on the streets of Aleppo, Lattakia, Hama, Tartous, Idlib, Damascus and Beirut.

These are our religious and national values. This is our heritage and history. This is the path we taking for the sake of our future generations.

We are proud of our people and our country, our president, ministers, deputies, governors, army, hospitals, doctors, nurses, the Red Cross, the Red Crescent, civil defence, humanitarian institutions and the citizens of all affected areas.

So we feel both compassion for the victims and the missing and gratitude for all citizens standing together. We mourn the departed and console the bereaved and those who are still to learn the fate of their loved ones.
From our sanctuary, we pray for all regions and citizens. May the mercy of God, who loves mankind and watches over his people, embrace us. May he hear and answer our prayers.

We appeal to the United Nations, the United States of America and the countries of the European Union to lift the sanctions on the Syrian people afflicted by war and natural disasters.

We are grateful to all those countries and international organizations that have shown solidarity with our people, and promised to help all those afflicted by this devastating earthquake.

Let us all work together as brothers and sisters in this suffering world, so that we may be as the Lord Jesus Christ called us to be, and so that life may be better, more beautiful and peaceful, for all of us.

This cataclysm of earthquake, devastation and tragedies invites us to this global solidarity. Let us build together the civilization of God, the Saviour of mankind - a civilization of love, a civilization of peace, a civilization for a better future for us all.

Gregorios III (Laham)
Patriarch Emeritus

- Prayer -

Let us pray and implore God's mercy, according to the teachings of the Church:

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For, at a loss for any answer, we sinners offer unto Thee, as to our Master, this supplication: Have mercy on us!

O Lord, have mercy on us, for in Thee have we placed our hope. Be Thou not exceeding wroth with us, neither be Thou mindful of our iniquities; but look down now, in that Thou art compassionate, and deliver us from our enemies. For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people. We are all the works of Thy hands, and we call upon Thy name.

Open unto us the portals of thy lovingkindness, O blessed Mother of God, that we who place our trust in thee may not perish, but may be delivered by thee from misfortunes. For thou art the salvation of Christians.

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Last Updated: 07 February 2023

www.vaticannews.va - The Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has decided to move away from the Julian Calendar which will involve changing the dates of several fixed liturgical feasts. For the time being, however, Greek Catholics will continue to celebrate Easter on a later date according to the old calendar.

By Lisa Zengarini

As from this year, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) will be celebrating Christmas on the 25 December, and not on January 7, and the Epiphany on 6 January instead of the 19th.

The switch of dates is part of a major change decided last week by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, moving away from the Julian Calendar which is presently used almost exclusively by the Russian Orthodox Church and other Eastern Churches under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Moscow.

The governing body of the UGCC meeting in Lviv-Bryukhovychi on February 1–2, decided that the changeover will take effect on September 1, but allowed for parishes to transition gradually with permission from their respective bishops.

90 per cent of Ukrainian Greek Catholics in favour of the reform
The decision was officially announced in a live broadcast of “Live TV” on Monday, 6 February, by the head of the UGCC, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, who explained that it was adopted after a vast consultation, involving clergy, religious and Church leaders, which indicated a shift of opinion in favour of the change.

Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, Ukrainian Greek Catholics, including those of the diaspora, were divided on the issue. Instead, said Archbishop Shevchuk, the survey showed that now more than 90% of Ukrainian Greek Catholics are supporting the move from the Julian calendar, which many Ukrainians associate with the Russian occupiers.

Catholics and Orthodocx Churches still discussing a common date for Easter

The switch to the Gregorian calendar will involve changing the dates of several fixed liturgical feasts, but for the time being Greek Catholics will continue to celebrate Easter on a later date than most Christian Churches. The reason for this, according to an UGCC statement, is that Catholics and the Orthodox Churches under the Patriarchate of Constantinople (which currently use the Julian calendar to determine the date of Easter, but do not otherwise adhere to) are still discussing about finding a common date for Easter.

They hope to reach an agreement by 2025, during the celebrations of 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea, the first general council in the history of the Church, in 325 A.D..

Orthodox Church of Ukraine (separated from Moscow) expected to change too

The Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU), which obtained autocephaly from Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople in 2019 against the will of the Patriarchate of Moscow, is also considering the idea of switching to the Gregorian Calendar , and Archbishop Shevchuk said on Monday that he hopes it will make the move very soon.

“We are moving towards the same goal. However, we may be moving towards it in different ways. We decided to switch, leaving the possibility to remain on the old calendar for those who aren't ready”, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said.

The OCU, is expected to discuss the issue when its bishops gather in May this year.

Link to full story: Ukrainian Greek Catholics to celebrate Christmas on December 25 - Vatican News

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Last Updated: 30 January 2023

Fairfax, VA - The fourth Light of the East pilgrimage will be held July 10-24, 2023 to Constantinople and the Holy Land with Bishop John Michael Botean as Spiritual Director. We have confirmed a private audience with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on July 14. We will visit major Byzantine churches in Istanbul and have a boat tour of the Bosphorous. We will see the sites where Jesus lived and preached in Galilee, have a short voyage on the Sea of Galilee, travel along the Jordan River, and finish in Jerusalem. In addition to visiting sites we hear of in the Gospels, we will pray an Akathist to the Tomb of Christ in the Tomb itself. The entire trip is only $5999 per person, double occupancy and includes airfare from Washington, DC, breakfast and dinner each day, local transportation, entrance fees and tour guides. You can find more details and register with a deposit of $800 online here:

https://olfoundation.net/ecumenical-pilgrimage/