Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kiev–Galicia

The Major Archeparchy of Kiev–Galicia, or Kyiv-Halych is the only major archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The cathedral church, the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, is presently under construction in Kyiv.

The ecclesiastical province dates back to the 10th century when a Metropolia was established, by the Patriarch of Constantinople then still before the Great Eastern Schism, after the conversion of the Grand Duke of Kyiv St. Volodymyr the Great in 988.

After the Mongol invasion which devastated Kyiv during the 13th century a second Metropolia was established in Halych in 1303 by the efforts of King Leo I of Halych and later his son George. It existed during most of 14th century but remained vacant since 1401 as the Metropolitan of Kyiv took over the title.

During the 15th century the Metropolitans worked together with the Patriarch of Constantinople to reestablish Christian Unity and in 1439 participated in the Union of Florence. In 1596 the Metropolia entered the Union of Brest, reestablishing full communion with the Holy See, however suffering a deep internal split.

Following the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of the 18th century most of the Ruthenian (modern Belarusian and Ukrainian) lands fell under Russian rule, where the Greek Catholic Church was gradually suppressed by 1839. Nevertheless, the Church survived in Austrian ruled Halychyna, where the Metropolia of Halych was reestablished, with prerogatives to administer the vacant see of Kyiv, on the basis of the Eparchy of Lviv in 1807 by Pope Pius VII.

In 1939 Halychyna also came under Russian rule and in 1946 the local Church structure was forcefully subjected under the Russian Orthodox Church. In 1969 the Metropolitan, temporarily residing in Rome, was raised by Blessed Pope John XXIII to the newly created position of Major Archbishop, with rights equivalent to those of a Patriarch, however not named so as not to provoke a new wave of repressions against the Catacomb Church in Ukraine and avoid hampering ecumenical dialogue with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

Following the collapse of Soviet Union the Major Archbishop returned to his archepiscopal see in Lviv, and in 2004 to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, with the Major Archeparchy of Lviv renamed by Pope Benedict XVI to its current name.

Currently Sviatoslav Shevchuk is the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych, installed in March 2011. The former Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych was Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, M.S.U. He was auxiliary bishop of the Major Archeparchy of Lviv during 1996–2000 and was apostolic administrator in 2000 until his appointment as Major Archbishop in 2001.

Bishops

• Head Sviatoslav Shevchuk (Major Archbishop)
  • Bishop Josyf Milyan, M.S.U. (auxiliary bishop)
  • Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, auxiliary bishop)

• Emeritus: Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, M.S.U. (Major Archbishop-Emeritus)

External links

• Kyiv archeparchy
• Giga-Catholic information page about the Major Archdiocese