Briefly about the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate
After the election of the new Pope, we answer journalists’ questions about the history of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate.
The Patriarchate has its roots in the Eastern-rite Order of St Basil the Great which carried out is mission in the Sazava monastery, Czech Republic.
In 2003, Cardinal Vlk of Prague put pressure on the leadership of the Order to dissolve the Byzantine monastery in Sazava. His conflict with the religious order was due to the orthodoxy of the monks. Apart from the fact that the Cardinal promoted a well-known heretic to a key post and defended him, he himself also proclaimed heresy which identified our Triune God with Allah.
After the dissolution of the Sazava monastery, some of the monks were transferred to the monastery in Pidhirtsi, Ukraine.
In Ukraine in 2006, Card. L. Husar wrote a heretical book which denied the fundamental truths of faith. Two older bishops, who had served as bishops of the Catacomb Church under Communism, asked us to stand in defence of the orthodox teaching of the Church. They offered to consecrate us bishops. Because of the extraordinary situation, we did accept it. On 3 March 2008, we made this fact public. At the same time, we wrote an open letter to Pope Benedict XVI, in which we informed him that Card. Husar proclaimed heresies and in that extraordinary situation we received Episcopal ordination for the sake of defence of faith. Soon afterwards, we established the Orthodox Catholic Bishops’ Synod of Ukraine. Benedict XVI gave his tacit consent.
In the years 2008-2011, we struggled for the purity of the faith and called on the Bishops and Cardinals in the Catholic Church to dissociate themselves from heresies connected with neomodernism and syncretism. In 2011, the Orthodox Catholic Synod established the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate because of the need to strengthen the fight for the defence of faith. Again, we announced the establishment of the Patriarchate to Pope Benedict XVI. On 1 May 2011, however, he beatified John Paul II and thus de facto canonized his apostate gesture in Assisi. Previously, we had written several open letters warning of the grave consequences of that step for the whole Church. When on 1 May 2011 he beatified John Paul II despite our warning, we publicly announced our separation from the apostasy of the Vatican and since then we have been in a state of Sede Vacante. In fact, the whole Catholic Church is currently in this state until the new Pope accepts the election.
In 2013, Francis Bergoglio was installed and the struggle for the purity of faith and morals had to be intensified. We have constantly emphasized that being an open heretic, he is an invalid Pope. At this time, we have clearly shown that the present state of the Church stems from the poisoned root of the Second Vatican Council, particularly from its declaration Nostra Aetate. There can be no reform in the Church as long as it is dominated by the spirit of so-called Vatican II’s aggiornamento.
The situation was ripe and on 14 October 2019, in an extraordinary situation which culminated in the Amazon Synod, the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate, by authority of the apostolic and prophetic office, elected Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò as the rightful Pope. Our Synod was held in the monastery near Olomouc (Czech Republic). We also called on all orthodox Catholic bishops and cardinals to support or accept the election.
The new Pope was elected by eight bishops. Basic information about them:
+ Elijah, Patriarch (ThD.)
born 1946; ordained priest 1972; joined the Order of St Basil the Great 1991; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Methodius (ThD.)
born 1968; joined the Order 1991; ordained priest 1996; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Marcian (ThLic.)
born 1970; joined the Order 1990; ordained priest 1997; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Samuel (PaeDr.)
born 1969; joined the Order 1995; ordained priest 2000; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Timothy (ICLic. – Master of Canon Law)
born 1973; joined the Order 2008; ordained priest 2004; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Basil (ThLic.)
born 1972; joined the Order 2000; ordained priest 2002; consecrated bishop 2008, Ukraine
+ Matthias
born 1976; joined the Order 2000; ordained priest 2007; consecrated bishop 2012, Ukraine
+ Demetrius
born 1983; joined the Order 2000; ordained priest 2011; consecrated bishop 2013, Ukraine
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