Categories
- Evangelization
- School of Prayer
- Worship
- Healing and Revealing
- Catholic Renewal
- Spiritual Warfare
- Apologetics
- Obstacles on the way to God
- Reading the Bible
- Sense of life
- Covenant with God
- Community
- Catholic Church
- Business and Christianity
- Family
- Witnesses of Faith
- Danger: Occultism
- Attention! Sects
His Beatitude Lubomyr expresses gratitude for greetings
17-09-2008
"Allow me to use this chance to thank many good, well-disposed people who in very different methods – in writing or through gifts – addressed me, to do something pleasant for me. Special thanks to all those who supported me with prayer. Cordial thanks to all of you. I do not have the possibility to thank all of you personally and directly as I would like to. In fact, in many cases I does not even know all my benefactors. Therefore I want by such a method to express gratitude for your kindness." So said His Beatitude Lubomyr, Major Archbishop of Kyiv and Halych, during his testimonial speech in the Solomiya Krushel\'nyts’ka National Theater of Opera and Ballet of Ukraine in Lviv. His Beatitude Lubomyr said these words as part of the anniversary evening on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of his birth and 50th anniversary of the priesthood.
Consequently in his speech the Head of the UGCC talked about two themes which he suggested for consideration. "The year in which I was born, 1933, was a holy year. The Church celebrated the 1900th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But this was also the year in which Hitler came to power, various nations acknowledged the independence of the USSR, and, at the same time, citizens of this country died from forced famine. In a word, it was a year which gave many misfortunes for the future. But simultaneously in these 75 years much good has happened, also. The UGCC, which was in the underground, survived, and, thanks to the suffering of many martyrs, our Church and our nation have been revived," the speaker said in particular. It became, in his words, a demonstration that the small and weak can resist the large and strong.
Another idea concentrated on the statement: "In many historical moments we tasted defeat not because our opponents were strong, but because we were weak, divided and arguing among ourselves." And His Beatitude Lubomyr completed his speech with the words: "May God give us unity!"
On September 7, 2008, a majestic celebration took place in Lviv: the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church celebrated the 75th anniversary of the birthday and 50th anniversary of the priesthood of His Beatitude Lubomyr. This was already the third time the Head of the UGCC in public and officially celebrated his anniversaries: first, on February 2, 2008, in the Vatican as part of the visit «Ad limina Apostolorum» of the Greek-Catholic bishops from Ukraine (this celebration took place, it is possible to say, at the level of the Catholic Church); the second time, on March 2, 2008, in Kyiv at the state level; and the celebration which took place on September 7 in Lviv was planned as the celebration of the whole Church, the faithful of the UGCC honoring their Father and Head.
