Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv

The Archeparchy of Lviv is an ecclesiastical territory or ecclesiastical province of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — a particular Eastern Catholic Church, that is located in Ukraine. It was erected in 1807. As a metropolitan see, it has three suffragan sees: Stryi, Sambir-Drohobych, and Sokal–Zhovkva. The incumbent Metropolitan Archbishop is Ihor Vozniak. The cathedral church of the archeparchy is St. George's in the city of Lviv.

Archeparchy of Lviv

Archieparchia Leopolitana Ucrainorum
Coat of arms
Location
HeadquartersLviv, Ukraine
Information
Sui iuris churchUkrainian Greek Catholic
RiteByzantine Rite
CathedralSt. George's Cathedral, Lviv
Patron saintSaint George
LanguageChurch Slavonic, Ukrainian
Current leadership
PopeFrancis
Major ArchbishopSviatoslav Shevchuk
Metropolitan ArchbishopIhor Vozniak, C.Ss.R.
Auxiliary BishopsVolodymyr Hrutsa, C.Ss.R.
Map
Website
http://ugcc.lviv.ua
Map of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the province of Lviv in 1939

History

Eparchy of Halych (1156 – 1406)

The eparchy was established as the Eastern Orthodox Eparchy of Halych at some time during the mid 12th century as a suffragan of the Metropolis of Kiev and all Rus'. The episcopal seat was located in Halych. In 1303, the eparchy was elevated to metropolitan status as the Metropolis of Halych. It held this status during several periods of the 14th century. After 1401, the title of the vacated province was moved to the Metropolitan of Kyiv.

Eparchy of Lviv

After long mediation in the mid 1539 the eparchy was re-established with its see moved to Lviv. The eparchy at first did not recognize the Union of Brest of 1596. It joined the Union in 1700 as part of the Metropolis of Kiev, Galicia and all Ruthenia.

Metropolis of Galicia

Following the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of 18th century, most lands fell under Russian rule. In the remaining lands ruled by the Austrian Empire, the "Metropolis of Galicia" (or Halych) was re-established as an archeparchy in 1807 in the Habsburg-ruled Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. After the Second World War, in 1946 the archeparchy, together with the entire Ukrainian Church, was forcefully subjected under the Russian Orthodox Church. However, it continued to operate in secret in its canonical territory. In 1959, the archeparchy was elevated to the rank of "Major Archeparchy" by Pope John XXIII.

After the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989, the Church began to restore canonical regularity. On 19 August 1990 Archbishop Volodymyr (Sternyuk) served the first Hierarchical Divine Liturgy in the returned to the church St. George's Cathedral, Lviv. On 30 March 1991, the Major Archbishop of Lviv, Cardinal Myroslav Lyubachivskyi, returned from Rome to his major archiepiscopal see in Lviv.

In 1992 the church synod adopted decision to create more eparchies out the archeparchy of Lviv and on 12 July 1993 it was approved by the Pope. There were established eparchy of Zboriv, eparchy of Sambir and Drohobych, and eparchy of Ternopil. In 2000 there were created eparchy of Stryi and eparchy of Sokal. In 2004 new Major Archbishop of Lviv Lubomyr Husar moved his see to Kiev, becoming Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych, leaving the archeparchy of Lviv to Archbishop Ihor Vozniak.

Current status

On 6 December 2004, it was downgraded in status from a "Major Archeparchy" to an "Archeparchy". On 21 November 2011 the church structure was again changed; it became a metropolitan see or ecclesiastical province with three suffragan eparchies:

As of 2023 the Metropolitan Archbishop of Lviv is Ihor Vozniak. He was an auxiliary bishop of the "Major Archeparchy of Lviv" during 2001–2004. In December 2004, he became an auxiliary bishop of the newly erected Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv-Halych. In 2005, the Synod elected him as the first archbishop of the new Archeparchy of Lviv.

Timeline
  • Archeparchy and 3 suffragans
    Archeparchy and 3 suffragans
  • Archeparchy of Lviv
    Archeparchy of Lviv
  • Eparchy of Sokal-Zhovkva
    Eparchy of Sokal-Zhovkva
  • Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych
    Eparchy of Sambir-Drohobych
  • Eparchy of Stryi
    Eparchy of Stryi

See also

49.8667°N 24.0833°E / 49.8667; 24.0833

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