Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic, read a congratularoty address to Patriarch Lubomyr for the 10th anniversary of his service as head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
"It was the beginning of a period of great initiatives that you are developing in the UGCC. First of all, you strengthened church structures so they would correspond to the society of Ukraine. It was a difficult task but Your Beatitude was able to fulfill it with full respect for the richness of the denominational structure of Ukraine. Your steps as those of a father and pastor of the church were motivated by the specific needs of the modern people, which are completely different from the past. As we wished to be near our flock, we discovered with the synodal bishops new qualities in pastoral ministry and closeness to those who seek salvation in the UGCC. The 10 years of your ministry made the UGCC more present in the society, closer to the needs of the people and more responsible for the future of your own nation," reads the address.
The nuncio also noted that the head of the UGCC remains, probably, the most present hierarch in the mass media. "Your thoughts, your wisdom and testimony of the radical Evangelical poverty have made your extraordinarily popular in the Ukrainian society and justly made you one of the most authoritative voices of today. Your Beatitude always spoke as the pastor of the church, as a man of faith and prayer, who experiences daily life as it is seen in the light of human life. People are very attentive to your words, which are always full of sincere love and care for others for they carry no empty rhetoric or conceit, but the desire to serve the truth and faith," reads the address.
Archbishop Ivan Jurkovic thanked Patriarch Lubomyr for his "service and for the lesson that we should always be constructive and attentive members of the society so that our words and actions do not offend anyone but to be constantly engaged in a dialogue for the good of everyone."