POPE GREETS BISHOPS OF BYZANTINE-UKRAINIAN RITE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 1, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed 22 bishops of the Catholic Church of the Byzantine-Ukrainian rite, including Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, archbishop major of Lviv of the Ukrainians. He told the bishops that he hoped "to soon be among you, on Ukrainian soil," adding that he awaited his coming trip "as a true spiritual gift."

The Pope observed that "the millennium of the baptism of your people, celebrated in 1988, was the start of a new era, involving for you important changes of a social and moral nature which aimed at recognizing the right to religious freedom for Catholics of oriental rite and for their Church which has been united with the See of Peter for 400 years.

"In this way," he continued, "the community of the People of God, which in 1946 was outlawed, came out of the catacombs. Your Church ... knew sufferings and the cross, when the cruel atheist regime decreed its suppression. But now we must look to the future: The grace of God drives us to use well our time for it is the time of salvation."

"We have come out of the painful experience of the catacombs," stated the Holy Father. "We must overcome this first phase of reorganization and work to create a pastoral project for your Church. ... This will take into account the primary exigency of catechesis and theological formation in line with your oriental ecclesial tradition. I know that educational institutions of high quality are already working to this end."

The Pope told them not to forget the "active role of a spiritually and culturally well-formed laity" in this pastoral project, as well as the role to be played by religious and, in a special way, by those in the monastic life.

In concluding remarks, John Paul II told the bishops: "You are called to live an impetus of growth and generosity which is also at the service of our Orthodox brothers and sisters with a view to recomposing full unity as Jesus wishes it; you will seek, together with their pastors, new ways to give common witness, avoiding the sterile counter-positions, well aware that the Father calls us all to charity in order that the world may believe."

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