Annual Meeting of UGCC Patriarchal Commission on Clergy Held in Rome, Italy

The annual meeting of the UGCC Patriarchal Commission on Clergy took place in Rome from May 12 to 15. Commission members gathered at the Pontifical College of St. Josaphat, invited by rector Fr. Luis Casiano. The meeting began with a Divine Liturgy led by Rev. Bohdan Danylo, who served as the head of the commission. In his sermon, he urged the seminarians at the college to pray for new vocations to the priestly order within the Church.

During the first session, Bishop Bohdan Danylo welcomed the commission members, inviting them to share their experiences from seminaries during the war. The discussion covered the challenges faced in the 2023–2024 academic year and planning for the upcoming admission campaign at UGCC seminaries. The focus was on supporting seminarians amid the ongoing conflict and ensuring their spiritual and academic development.

The second day’s morning session centered on fostering a supportive seminary community during wartime. Fr. Robert Lyseyko, Protoarchimandrite of the Order of St. Basil the Great, emphasized the importance of communal living in building trust and spiritual formation. He highlighted the need for confessors and prefects to care for seminarians’ mental and spiritual well-being, especially in times of war, where they have witnessed death and experienced life’s dramatic moments.

Commission members also met with Fr. Hans Zollner, director of the Institute of Anthropology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Fr. Zollner stressed the importance of creating a holy and safe environment to prevent clergy sexual abuse. He noted that attention must also be given to power abuse and spiritual and emotional abuse, stating that these elements should be considered in community formation and practices.

During a meeting with the Ambassador of Ukraine to the Holy See, Andriy Yurash, Bishop Bohdan outlined the Patriarchal Commission’s activities and the challenges faced by UGCC seminaries during the war. They discussed the difficulties seminarians encounter when leaving Ukraine for higher studies in Italy, including the emotional and logistical strains of relocation.

A significant spiritual highlight of the meeting was the Divine Liturgy held at the tomb of St. Josaphat in St. Peter’s Cathedral. Father Yuriy Kolasa, Vicar General for the faithful of the Eastern Catholic Churches in Austria, delivered a sermon that reflected on the legacy of St. Josaphat, whose life and martyrdom serve as a reminder of the Church’s commitment to faith and service.

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