September 9, 2022, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, signed the Decree on Proclamation of the Strategy for the Development of Social Service of the UGCC. They decided to implement it into legal force two months after the electronic publication of the document “Strategy for the Development of Social Service of the UGCC” (Resolution No. 3) on the official website of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (ugcc.ua). The Synod approved this document of Bishops of the UGCC held on July 7-15, 2022, in Przemyśl.
“Social service is an activity to solve social problems and ensure social justice. It covers the entire spectrum of social action. It includes providing volunteer assistance, charity, and organized forms of delivering social services to needy individuals and groups to ensure their integral development,” stated in the document.
The document “Strategy of social service of the UGCC” has the following priority goals: fostering the spirit of sacrifice and social responsibility; service for the benefit of the needy; and institutional development and professionalization of social service of the UGCC.
Expected results include: introduction of social service practices, establishment of good cooperation with the Pontifical Council to promote holistic human development; UGCC membership in Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Europe; participation of the UGCC in the work of the Social Service Commission of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and Public Councils regarding the cooperation of the UGCC with ministries (Ukraine); active activity of the Caritas network based on the church network; conducting and coordinating social days in dioceses and others.