Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Lviv

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has over 5.5 million faithful.

In the Lviv region operates 1424 greek catholic organizations, in Ivano-Frankivsk region - 647, Ternopil - 732, Zakarpattia - 289. Greek catholic organizations operates in another regions of Ukraine, at south, east and in Kiev. The head of the UGCC is Major Archbishop, Bishop of Kamianets-Podilskyi, Metropolitan of Lviv and Galicia - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar. Bishop Glib Lonchina - the Major Archbishop's apocrisiarius (official representative), lives in Rome.

From 1989 to 1992 following its emergence from the underground, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine consisted of three eparchies - Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Mukachiv. At the Synod of Bishops which was held in Lviv from 1 to 31 May 1992, a new territorial system was devised according to which the number of eparchies increased by four: Sambir-Drohobych, Ternopil, Zboriv and Kolomiya-Chernivtsi. The Kyiv-Vyshorod exarchate, which occupies the territory beyond Bukovyna, Halychyna and Transcarpathia received a separate status. Recently, in accordance with the decision reached by the Synod of Bishops held in Buchach in August 2000, two new eparchies were created - Sokal and Stryi. Furthermore, the eparchies of Zboriv and Ternopil were reorganized into the Buchach-Chortkiv and Ternopil-Zboriv eparchies respectively. As of November 2000, all of Ukraine falls under the jurisdiction of the Synod of Bishops and the Major Archbishop.

From 1989 to 2001 were held eleven Episcopal Synods. There were also 2 sessions of the Patriarchal Sobor - Council: the first was dedicated to the question of the new evangelization (1996 year) and the second to the role of the laity in the life of the modern Church (1998 year). A third session is planned for 2003 year: Jesus Christ, Source of the Rebirth of the Ukrainian People. This will discuss Ukrainian social problems, in particular divorce, abortion, alcoholism and corruption.