Global InformationUkrainian Greek Catholic Church information
| Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church | |
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| Українська греко-католицька церква | |
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| Abbreviation | UGCC |
| Type | Particular church (sui iuris) |
| Classification | Eastern Catholic |
| Orientation | Eastern Christianity |
| Theology | Catholic Theology |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Governance | Synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church[1] |
| Pope | Francis |
| Major Archbishop | Sviatoslav Shevchuk[2] |
| Parishes | c. 3993 |
| Region | Mainly: Ukraine Minority: Canada, the United States, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Poland, Lithuania and Argentina |
| Language | Ukrainian, Church Slavonic |
| Liturgy | Byzantine Rite |
| Headquarters | Cathedral of the Resurrection, Kyiv, Ukraine |
| Founder | Michael Rohoza (as Ruthenian Uniate Church) |
| Origin | 988, establishment of the Metropolitanate of Kyiv 1596, Union of Brest Brest, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Separated from | Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (1596, as Ruthenian Uniate Church) |
| Separations | Ukrainian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church |
| Members | 5.5 million[3] |
| Other name(s) |
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| Official website | ugcc |
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| Alexandrian Rite |
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| West Syriac Rite |
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Eastern Catholic Churches Eastern Catholic liturgy  Catholicism portal Christianity portal |
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| History of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
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History of Christianity in Ukraine Eastern Catholic Churches |
| Ruthenian Uniate Church to forced dissolution in Soviet Union |
| 1595 Union of Brest |
| 1806 transfer of Metropolitan See from Kyiv to Lemberg |
| 1839 Council of Polotsk |
| 1875 Conversion of Chełm Eparchy |
| 1907 First diasporas bishop |
| 1946 Council of Lviv |
| Council for Religious Affairs |
| Anti-Catholicism in the Soviet Union |
| Eastern Catholic victims of Soviet persecutions |
| Church in Exile |
| 1963 Title of Major Archbishop conferred |
| Since re-legalization in Ukraine |
| 1991 return of exiled priests and bishops to Lviv |
| 2005 transfer of See from Lviv to Kyiv |
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)[a] is a major archiepiscopal sui iuris ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. It is the second-largest particular church in the Catholic Church after the Latin Church. The major archbishop presides over the entire Church but is not distinguished with the patriarchal title. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Sviatoslav Shevchuk.
The church regards itself as a successor to the acceptance of Christianity by Grand Prince Volodymyr the Great, the founder of the medieval state of Kievan Rus'. The foundation of the Orthodox Church in Rus' is traditionally dated to 988 AD. In 1596, by the terms of the Union of Brest, this Rus' or Ruthenian Church transferred from the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to the jurisdiction of the Holy See, thereby forming the Ruthenian Uniate Church. The "Union of Brest" was a treaty between the Ruthenian Orthodox Church in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, under the leadership of the Metropolitan of Kyiv, Galicia and All Ruthenia — Michael III — on one part, and the Latin Church under the leadership of Pope Clement VIII on the other part.[4]
Following the partitions of Poland, the eparchies of the "Ruthenian Uniate Church" (Latin: Ecclesia Ruthena unita)[5][6] were liquidated in the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Only the three eparchies that came under Austrian jurisdiction remained of the Brest Union. In 1963, the church was recognized as Ukrainian through the efforts of Yosyf Slipyi.
In 1963, the ordinary (or hierarch) of the church was granted the title of "Major Archbishop". He currently holds the title of "Major archbishop of Kyiv-Galicia". However, the hierarchs and faithful of the church acclaim their ordinary as "Patriarch" and have requested Papal recognition of this honour.
- ^ "Synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church". GCatholic. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
- ^ "Major Archbishop Sviatoslav: Pope wants Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church to develop and flourish – Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 8 July 2019. Archived from the original on 16 December 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- ^ "Склад і територія". ugcc.ua. Archived from the original on 30 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ Church Union of Berestia Archived 31 May 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Encyclopedia of Ukraine
- ^ The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church's Name. St Sophia Church website
- ^ Canonical aspects. Encyclopedia of Ukraine
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