Episcopal ordination was held at the Cathedral of St. Alexander in Kyiv for the first time since its construction.
On June 24, the episcopal consecration of Vitaly Kryvytsky was held in Kyiv, whom on April 30, 2017, His Holiness Francis appointed Ordinary Bishop of Kyiv and Zhytomyr. Episcopal ordination was held at the Cathedral of St. Alexander in Kyiv for the first time since its construction. And it is also the first consecration in Kyiv during the last few centuries, after the episcopal chair was moved from Kyiv to Zhytomyr, CREDO reports.
Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytsky became 63 pastor of the capital city of Kyiv.
The chief consecrating hierarchs were the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, and Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokszycki, Archbishop of Lviv, and Archbishop Bronislaw Bernatsky, the ordinary of Odesa-Simferopol, Bishop Bronislav Bernatskyy.
The diocese was waiting for a new ordinary more than a year after the death of Archbishop Peter Malchuk. At the beginning of the solemn Divine Service, Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovsky, Ordinary of Lutsk and the administrator of the vacant see of the Diocese of Kyiv and Zhytomyr after the death of Archbishop Peter, called to cover with the prayer of new hierarch Vitaliy Kryvytskiy.
“Today our Diocese will receive its shepherd; Let it be for those who follow the example of St. John the Baptist is preparing a way for the Lord,” said Bishop Skomarovsky.
All Roman Catholic bishops of Ukraine, Roman Catholic bishops from abroad participated in the celebration. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was represented by Vasyl Ivasyuk, the Kolomyia-Chernivtsi Diocese. All other bishops of the UGCC are now in Rome at the solemn canonization of St. Josaphat.
Bishop Agapit of the UOC-KP, Bishop Marcos Hovhannisyan, Head of the Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, representatives of the Bible Society, the diplomatic corps, from Poland, the Parliament of the EU, representatives of local authorities and self-government, priests, consecrated persons and faithful arrived at the solemn Mass.
During the sermon, the Apostolic Nuncio noted that the bishop must remember the ministry and avoid arrogance. Recalling the origin of Vitaliy Kryvytskiy, who was born in Odessa, Archbishop Gugerotti said: “You come from a cosmopolitan city, they say in the city that everyone is cunning. We will see. Now we see your courtesy, but it seems that those eyes see a lot of things. You have seen so many nations, you have witnessed their [peaceful] coexistence, and therefore diversity does not definitely scare you. And you will not be at risk of the main problem in our Church - provincialism: to contemplate and take care first of all about your city. Your city is a city at the seashore and you are accustomed to looking far. You see the sun that goes down, and the sun that comes in. Help us also, who do not have the sea horizon, to look far. Instead of contemplating only the nose of their own shoes.”
After the solemn promise of the nominee bishop and Lithania to all the saints, during which Vitaliy Kryvytsky lay beside, the service of consecration took place along with the consecration prayer, which, together with the chief minister of consecration and concelebrants, was read over by all the Catholic bishops present. At the end of the ordination, a new consecrated hierarch was presented with the Gospel, which expresses the program of the spiritual life of a bishop, a ring that indicates the engagement of the bishop with the Church, the miter - a sign of consecration and dedication to God, and the pastoral that dates back to Zhytomyr bishops of the XIX-XX centuries, - which means acceptance of the pastoral ministry. After handing over the pastoral, the Nuncio, as a chief consecrator, asked the newly-consecrated Bishop Vitaliy, as the shepherd of Kyiv and Zhytomyr, to take a seat at his see. Thus the Mass began under the chairmanship of the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, but was continued by the newly-ordained ordinary bishop of Kyiv and Zhytomyr Vitaliy Kryvytsky. At the end of Mass, the new Ordinary was welcomed by representatives of the Episcopate, the priesthood, consecrated life, and the laity. Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokszycki, the head of the conference of the Episcopate of the Russian Catholic Church, congratulated the new consecrated Vitaliy Kryvytsky in the community of bishops. “Your Eminence Vitaliy, your succession (the apostolic succession, ed.) is not a long-term one. 17 years ago the Apostolic Nuncio received consecration from St. John Paul II, and today he ordained you,” said the Metropolitan of the RCC, urging to pray under the patronage of the Holy See.
Inspector of the Krakow Salesians province Fr. Adam Parshivka assured that the Salesian family would always support the new bishop with prayer, as well as in all endeavors for the benefit of young people. “The church is in great joy, because at a young priest became its head, who, according to Apostolic Nuncio, is a young man with his eyes wide open, having a young body and energy. The Salesian congregation can view from this perspective: we have taken a young, energetic, responsible, good director from our ranks ... But we look at it with great joy. We are proud because you are convinced that your eyes and your legs, but in the first place your heart will invite the entire diocese to look in particular at the poor, young people, in order that the Church become even more vibrant and closer to Christ,” said the Salesian representative.
The newly-appointed bishop Vitaliy Kryvytsky at thanked the end of the Mass everyone whom he met in his life-way: parents, family, educators, priests, youth. Bishop Vitaliy stressed that he wanted to serve the young people in the future, and urged him not to “get lost among adults and respectable vuykas.”