The Funeral Of The Head Of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

Photo by Andriy Kyrchiv

On December 14, 2000 His Beatitude Archbishop and Metropolite, Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Myroslav Ivan Cardinal Lyubachivskyj has died in the age of 86. This is a loss which cannot be limited not only by confessional but also by all-Ukrainian frames. His death is the end of whole epoch in the reflections on the activities and life of UGCC and its acceptation in the world. Being blessed for priest in 1938 by Metropolite Earl Andrey Sheptytskyj and working as co-adjutor to Patriarch Josyf Slipyj His Beatitude Myroslav Ivan became a link between all periods of UGCC tragic history in 20eth century, witness of its unity in the times of ruin and resurrection.

He was buried in the crypt of St. Georje Archicathedral in Lviv. President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma and a number of high representatives of Ukrainian authorities and other confessions took part in funeral ceremony.