The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, personally and on behalf of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, congratulated Bishop Ihor Vozniak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.
“The celebration of your anniversary," the Primate's congratulation letter says, “is a great event for all of us, which we perceive as a visible sign of God's generous blessing, which, like precious ointment, floats through Your ministry on the wounds of our Church. Together with You, we bring our prayers to the throne of the Most High, thanking Him for calling you to the path of sacrificial consecration to the Church and your people.”
The Head of the Church emphasized that the deep faith of Metropolitan Igor, which grew and strengthened during the underground days of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, was openly seen in the period of its revival. Leading our majestic and full of God's glory Lviv Archeparchy, in which the active memory of our glorious predecessors, giants of spirit and work - Metropolitan Andrey, Patriarchs Josyf, and Lubomyr lives on, Bishop Ihor shows by his example how deeply he loves his martyred Church and makes every effort to glorify God's name and “so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Ti. 3:17).
“Your lifelong ministry as a priest serves as a model of life of the good shepherd. The clergy and laity of the Lviv Archdiocese see in Your person a minister who, following the example of our Savior, is ready to help those in need,” says the greeting.
In the letter, the Primate drew attention to Metropolitan's active participation in the activities of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC and his absolute authority among bishops, which contributed to the adoption of many important decisions for the good of our Church. “Your fellow bishops consider you a wise adviser in difficult matters. We thank You for your openness and constant support of the mission projects of our Church,” noted the Major Archbishop.
“We congratulate You and wish to have the help of the Holy Spirit in all undertakings for the glory of God and the good of the Church and people. May the merciful Lord bless You with a hundredfold return. May He accept the gift of Your service on his throne as a pleasant sacrifice and send you his generous blessing from above through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, glorified in the icon of Perpetual Help. Under Her cover and to Her prayers, we dedicate Your further service. Live on being a bright light of God's truth for our people and all the people among whom You live. May all the time that the Lord will assign to You be blessed and peaceful for You,” wished the Father and Head of the UGCC personally and on behalf of the Synod.