Three structures of the Patriarchal Curia - the UGCC Commission on Family and Laity, the UGCC Commission on Youth, and the Council on Evangelization under the head of the UGCC - were granted the rights and responsibilities of structures of general church status.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about the reasons for the structural changes in the three patriarchal executive units in the program "Open Church" on Zhyve TV, as reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
Having received the approval of the Synod of Bishops, which was held this year in Zarvanytsia, the Head of the UGCC granted the general church status to the three patriarchal structures. This means that the competencies of the Commission on Family and Laity, the Commission on Youth and the Council on Evangelization are no longer limited to the borders of Ukraine.
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, this decision was made in response to the challenges the Church faces today: "We see that these boundaries are beginning to blur. Many people have already found themselves outside of Ukraine, particularly during the war."
At the same time, the head of the UGCC named new heads of these commissions. Bishop Arkady Trokhanovsky headed the UGCC Patriarchal Commission on Family and Laity. The Patriarchal Commission on Youth was headed by Bishop Brian Baida. The Patriarchal Commission on Evangelization is headed by Bishop Josaphat Moshchych.
Speaking on the Open Church program about the Commission on Youth Affairs, His Beatitude explained that "our youth has long been creating a global space, as young people communicate with each other live, regardless of borders." "Our youth is a powerful voice of Ukraine before the world community."
Explaining the need to elevate the Commission on Family and Laity to the general church level, he noted that the Ukrainian family is the center where faith is transmitted and national and cultural identity is preserved, particularly in conditions of emigration.
"Therefore, when we think about how to serve the Ukrainian family, considering Ukraine alone would be anachronical," he emphasized. "We see how our Church is reaching out beyond the borders of Ukraine as it follows its people. Obviously, we are forced to reform the competencies of the executive structures of the Patriarchal Curia accordingly," concluded His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
It should be noted that evangelization was the main theme of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2024 — "To Be Evangelists of Hope: Evangelization in the Context of War", prepared by Bishop Yosafat Moshchych. The theme of the Synod of Bishops in 2025 will be the family — "Pastoral Care of the Family in Times of War."