ITALY 6-9 JUNE 2017

PRESS RELEASE - CONCLUSION OF THE RUSSIAN BYZANTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH CONGRESS

HELD AT SAN FELICE DEL BENACO, ITALY, JUNE 6-9, 2017

The Russian Byzantine Catholic Global Congress took place in San Felice del Benaco, Italy, from 6th to 9th of June 2017. The Congress marked the centennial anniversary of the first Synod of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church in St Petersburg, Russia, and continued a series of congresses during the twentieth century. It was attended by the representatives of the Russian Catholic communities coming from Russian Byzantine Catholic parishes on five continents around the globe.  The congress consisted of keynote speeches and fora. It also featured an intensive liturgical dimension. It began with the Moleben to the Mother of God and Enthronement of Her Fatima icon, continued with Vespers and Divine Liturgy, and ended with a Panikhida (a memorial service for the departed) for deceased clergy and laity of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church. 

In his welcome speech, Archpriest Dr Lawrence Cross, the moderator of the congress, addressed the current situation and problems of the global Russian Byzantine Catholic community. He in particular indicated difficulties in communication with the churches of Rome and Moscow. He also touched on the issue of the church's identity. Instead of calling it "Uniate" church, he suggested using the term "Uniting" church. He called for revival of this church in accordance with this name. Fr Sergey Golovanov brought to the audience his experiences from Russia in its present socio-political situation. Very Rev Prof Peter Galadza from Canada tried to define a new rationale for the church. He called it "yurodstvo" in the time of trouble. Prof Adam DeVille from the US offered a psychological insight to the possible mission of the church regarding   reconciliation of the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Very Rev Dr Cyril Hovorun from the US suggested new ecumenical patterns in addition to the traditional ecumenical dialogues. Rev Dr Yury Avvakumov focused on the figure of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky. Finally, Mr Anatoliy Babynskyi from Ukraine suggested a new path for the Russian Byzantine Catholic community, from polemical apologetics to the building of bridges.

The Congress produced a series of resolutions calling for action to regularize its organizational status within the Catholic communion so that the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church can function more regularly as the sui iuris church which it is, and overcome the many disabilities that it suffers in its current irregular state. The primary resolution acknowledged our solidarity across the miles and recognition of our many diversely located parishes both within Russia and without in the diaspora as one church, united in our traditions, our prayer, our brotherhood in Christ and our solidarity as Russian Byzantine Catholics. This resolution was followed by our resolution that seeks approval of a global ordinariate or exarchate providing dedicated episcopal authority that can address the routine needs of the 30+ Russian Greek Catholic parishes around the globe. Several resolutions address on-going pastoral issues, such as holding regular clergy conferences, the care and formation of seminarians, oversight of appropriate clergy training, clergy succession, stream-lining the process of reception of new members, increasing means of regular communication among the parishes both within and without Russia, and fund-raising. The Congress thanked Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill for their confirmation in their joint statement issued in Havana in 2016 of the right of such Churches as the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church to exist. The Congress then delegated the Rev. Mitred Archpriest Lawrence Cross to report on and progress the foregoing resolutions with the appropriate ecclesiastical authorities and to undertake all associated tasks and formalities needed to bring about a more normal and full establishment of the Russian Byzantine Catholic Church.

Issued at Oxford, England, June 29, 2017