On Sunday, December 15, 2019, in Karaganda, Vasyl Hovera, the Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of Byzantine rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia was enthroned.
On Sunday, December 15, 2019, in Karaganda, Vasyl Hovera, the Apostolic Administrator for Catholics of Byzantine rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia was enthroned.
This was reported by the UGCC Department of Information.
The solemn Divine Service held by the UGCC Patriarch Sviatoslav was attended by Greek and Roman Catholic bishops, the Ukrainian community and youth, representatives of various public organizations and societies, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ivan Almashi, and Consul of Ukraine.
In his speech, the leader of the Greek Catholics said that the Kazakh land is "marred with the wounds of concentration camps," for many martyrs, confessors of Christ's Church of our people had been killed here: "Today we thank the Lord for those here on this land who, by the power of God's Word and His grace in the light, bore good fruit in the love for their neighbor."
"Today, the Lord entrusts you with a difficult task. He wants you to be wise in His apostolic service, so that you may teach the modern man in this God’s land to believe in Him. And so you can pass the treasure of faith of our great confessors and martyrs on to the next generations,”- His Beatitude Sviatoslav addressed Fr. Vasyl Hover.
We remind you that on Saturday, December 14, 2019, the Patriarch of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk arrived in Kazakhstan with a pastoral visit, which will last until December 16.
The visit to Kazakhstan began with a reception at the Apostolic Nunciature in the capital Nur-Sultan. The guests were greeted by Archbishop Francis Asizi Chullikat, an Apostolic Nuncio in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The reception was also attended by Archbishop Cyril Vasyl, Secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Bishop Jerzy Matzunewicz, Apostolic Administrator of the RCC of Uzbekistan, Fr. Anthony Korkan, Apostolic Administrator of the RCC of Kyrgyzstan, Ivan Kuleba, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Ivan Almashi, Consul of Ukraine to the Republic of Kazakhstan, and others.
As it was previously reported by RISU, on June 1, 2019, Vatican officials announced that Pope Francis had created an Apostolic Administration for Catholics of Byzantine Rite in Kazakhstan and Central Asia with a seat in Karaganda and appointed Metropolitan Archpriest Vasyl Hovera as its leader.