Announcement of establishment of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate (BCP)

Lvov, 7 April 2011

President of Ukraine V. Yanukovych

Members of Government

Members of Parliament

Dear Mr President, dear Sirs and Madams,

we hereby announce to You that on 5 April 2011 the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate was proclaimed. Archbishop Elijah (65) was appointed the first Patriarch.

The seat of the Patriarchate is in Lvov, Ukraine.

By establishment of the Patriarchate built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets God has offered a solution for all true Catholics even outside Ukraine.

The Church has a human and a divine element. Neither the existent Kiev Patriarchate (Filaret) nor the intended Patriarchate of UGCC (L. Husar) nor the newly established Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate (Elijah) have an official ecclesiastical status. The need for establishment of a new patriarchate from the Church’s perspective can be territorial. The need for such establishment from God’s perspective is personal (emergency situation in the Church). The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate is primarily personal, not territorial. Quotation from the announcement to the Pope:

“The tragedy is that many Catholic believers as well as the hierarchy accept a new teaching and a different spirit which is contrary to the fundamental truths of the Gospel and the Apostolic Tradition.

The response of the Synod to this catastrophic state was establishment and proclamation of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate. Its purpose is to give patronage to all believers who desire to preserve the sacred deposit of the Catholic faith, regardless of nationality or belonging to any of the Catholic Churches or traditions.

The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate is in true communion with You (Holy Father) in the apostolic and catholic faith free from all heresies and from the spirit of apostasy. Together with You – Peter – we condemn all ancient as well as modern heresies, particularly those connected with the current historical-critical method.”

Because the official structure of the Catholic Church has apostatized by reason of proclamation of heresies, the church law has been incorporated in a system which no longer protects but ruins the Church of Christ. If the apostatical system continues to act by authority, it now does so unlawfully. In this emergency situation the prophetic office in the Church has started its ministry which, in the authority of God, defends the fundamental truths of the faith and moral values. This ministry has been exercised by the Bishops’ Synod of the UOGCC for Ukraine and Western Catholics since 2008. At the present time God has entrusted this ministry to the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate to exercise it in the full authority of God even outside the territory of Ukraine.

Every Catholic believer who dissociates himself from the contemporary heresies now has an opportunity to be under the patronage of an orthodox spiritual authority. The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate represents the authority of the Triune God, defends the apostles’ doctrine, God’s laws and moral values.

Praying for Your salvation and for the salvation of the Ukrainian nation and bestowing a blessing on You,

Patriarch Elijah and orthodox Catholic bishops

On behalf of the Patriarch

+ Timothy OSBMr

Secretary

+ Methodius OSBMr

Secretary