UGCC election process still ongoing

(UGCC) - On March 20, 2011 at St. George’s Cathedral in Lviv a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy was celebrated in preparation for the Electoral Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which will elect a new Father and Head of the UGCC. The day of prayer and spiritual reflection began with a Divine Liturgy, the purpose of which was to try to get to know God’s will concerning a new UGCC Spiritual Leader.

Participating in the Divine Liturgy, headed by UGCC Administrator Most Rev. Igor (Voznyak), were all the bishops of the UGCC from Ukraine and abroad. They will collectively take part in the Electoral Synod. Rev.Dr. Borys Gudziak, the rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, delivered a sermon to the assembly.

"Today, when the Synod has to elect a new leader, Patriarch and Head of our Church, there is only one criterion for us - to be with God, our great God. Having put aside all possible limitations, having opened our minds and hearts, let us embrace in our prayers our bishops. May we reach out to them with our hearts and souls, supporting them with our fasting, almsgiving, and vigil in these days. He will not leave His Church. He eliminates the fear of the community which is asking itself: who will lead us? For He is God who, according to the prophet Isaiah, said to His servant:

I am the Lord who called you to victory "- noted Rev. Borys in his sermon. In an interview to the UGCC Information Department, the rector of the UCU said that in his spiritual reflections he will be talking about the three persons of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Every spiritual step, and foremost the election of the Head of the Church, should be grounded in our Lord God. The reflections will be about God the Father - the great God, God the Son - who humbled Himself to be with us, and about the relationship between the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who descends and visits the human beings and the Church. What the bishops need the most is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in order to do God’s will through their choice in peace, joy and confidence "- said Rev . Boris.

After the Liturgy, the bishops and many lay people prayed together three times "Heavenly King" and once "Glory be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen "in the intention of the Electoral Synod. During all this time following divine services in all churches, the faithful of the UGCC are saying these prayers according to the instruction of the UGCC Administrator. After that the bishops prayed in the crypt of St. George's Cathedral, where the remains of three UGCC leaders in the past century are lying: Metropolitan Andrey (Sheptytsky), Patriarch Josyph Slipyj and Patriarch Miroslav Ivan (Lubachivsky).