Cardinal Says International Role Of Greek Catholic Church Is Growing

02.12.2002, 16:34

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), said at a press conference on 2 December 2002 that his pastoral visits to Poland, Germany, the USA and Italy from 2 to 28 November 2002 and his participation in important international religious events testify to the growing role of the UGCC in the life of the Catholic Church.

“I represented our church in the family of particular churches,” said Cardinal Husar. “We couldn’t participate directly in any general international religious events for many long years. Today this is possible, because our church has come out of the underground and continues to develop. Now we are in the international arena and not closed in on ourselves.” According to the cardinal, participation in joint international events is not only important for the church, but also for the Ukrainian state. “Joint moral actions are something that can unite us,” stressed Cardinal Husar. “For Ukraine, as a future member of the European community, it is essential that Europe, which is currently disunited, regain the awareness of common moral principles.” During his trips abroad, Cardinal Husar participated in a plenary session of the Congregation of Eastern Churches in Rome, a meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., and a meeting of the German Conference of Catholic Bishops. There he represented the UGCC and spoke on its role as a mediator between East and West.

Source: Press service of the UGCC