Pope appoints Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishop to College of Cardinals

Pope Francis named Bishop Mykola Bychok, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia, as one of 21 new cardinals.

The College of Cardinals is a body of senior leaders in the Catholic Church who serve as the Pope’s principal advisors and assistants in church governance. Its most crucial role is to elect a new Pope when the position becomes vacant.

“With the nominations, the pontiff has significantly increased the size of the College of Cardinals and further cemented his mark on the group which will one day elect his successor,” the report states.

At 44, Bychok is the youngest nominee and now Ukraine’s only cardinal. Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, praised the decision, despite the Pope choosing Bychok over the Kyiv-based head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

The new cardinals will receive red hats on 8 December, marking Pope Francis’ 10th consistory. This appointment brings the number of cardinal electors to 142, exceeding the usual limit of 120.

According to Euronews, Pope Francis has significantly diversified the College of Cardinals, with appointees from South America, Asia, and Africa.

According to Vatican statistics cited in the report, before this announcement, 92 of the cardinals under 80 had been appointed by Francis, compared to 24 by Pope Benedict XVI and six by St John Paul II.

The Greek Catholic Church, also known as the Eastern Catholic Church, is a group of Eastern Christian churches in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. These churches maintain Eastern Orthodox liturgical practices and traditions while recognizing the authority of the Pope.

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is one of the largest Eastern Catholic Churches, with a significant presence in Ukraine and Ukrainian diaspora communities worldwide.

Pope Francis has consistently called for peace in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022. While condemning the violence and expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people, the Pope has also advocated for dialogue and diplomatic solutions to end the war, not naming Russia as an aggressor.

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