Announcement about canonical assumption of administration

                                         of the eparchies of the UGCC

We announce that the false pastoral letter of Bishop M. Koltun dated 16th July 2008 does not oblige anyone in their conscience. He writes therein hypocritically: “Satan is ascending the throne and of his own accord assuming the rule of Christ the Saviour and of the Apostles, in order to accomplish pernicious ‘work of salvation’.” This statement in the full sense is true about him and not about us! He has publicly avowed the heresies of Card. Husar; he, and not we, has thus publicly betrayed Christ the Saviour!

He further writes: “The college of judges (of the apostate M. Koltun) resolved to punish these priests (bishops) with major excommunication.”

Response: This intended statement to his order is manipulation of the truth and of the canon laws. We, as bishops, lodged an appeal to the Holy Father. Regrettably, the apostatic machinery continues trampling on God’s as well as the Church’s laws. They hypocritically transmitted our appeal to the tribunal of the archeparchy of Lvov instead of to the Holy Father. We reacted to it again with a demand that our case may be decided only by the Holy Father and not by those who unrightfully sue us. So we are not excommunicated, neither by God’s nor by the canon law. Bishop M. Koltun is excommunicated – anathemized – in accordance with God’s laws, and this holds true before God as well as before the Church!

In our pastoral letter of 3rd August 2008 we made it public that the whole Bishops’ Synod of the UGCC in Ukraine had automatically excommunicated itself from the Church by publicly denying our Lord and Saviour and His Mystical Body – the Church. It was therefore necessary to appoint a new Synod, otherwise the whole Church would fall under an anathema, for she would make unity with heresies of false leadership. This leadership would by means of tricks and lies lead the poor believers into apostasy and into perdition. The new Synod clearly separates from all heresies which were publicly presented to the Church by Card. Husar. Our aim is the internal renewal of faith and morals – that means of that without which Christianity loses its essence and existence. Therefore soon after appointing the individual bishops, the new Synod canonically took charge of the eparchies. It is true that in respect of extraordinary conditions the Divine Liturgy connected with the canonical assumption could not be celebrated in the episcopal church. This church is illegally kept by the apostate bishops. So the divine liturgy was celebrated on the territory of the particular eparchy, whether in the pilgrimage places (Pohonya, Zarvanytsya, Hrushiv...) or in the churches or chapels of the eparchial town or territory. Our purpose was not and is not a forcible takeover of the churches but the spiritual revival of the UGCC. We hereby announce this spiritual takeover of the eparchies to all priests, religious and believers. The rightful, orthodox (i.e. true-Catholic) eparchial bishop united with the Holy Father is:

For Lvov and Zhovkva – Bishop Markian V. Hitiuk, OSBM

For Ivano-Frankivsk and Kolomiya – Bishop Eliáš A. Dohnal, OSBM

For Drohobych – Bishop Metod?j R. Špi?ík, OSBM

For Buchach – Bishop Timotej P. Sojka, OSBM-III

For Ternopol – Bishop Samuel R. Oberhauser, OSBM-III

For Uzhgorod – Bishop Basil P. Kolodi, OSBM-III.

These particular eparchies have been taken over by the bishops of the new Synod. The announcement about it is given to the Holy Father with a possibility that in case he wished to change the resolution of the new Synod, we will gladly do so through a personal audience with him. The reason for our demand for a personal audience is that our matter is extremely important and needs to be guaranteed in this way, because the papal legates in many aspects do the exact opposite of what the Holy Father demands.

The new Synod calls upon all the faithful, but first of all upon the priests, to respect these changes in their conscience. In the Divine Liturgy they should mention the Supreme Archbishop Michailo and then the bishop that was assigned to their eparchy by the new Synod.

Nothing detracts from the spiritual power of the named bishops, despite the fact that the episcopal premises continue to be occupied by the apostate bishops. These already have no spiritual power.

We emphasize: This resolution of the Synod can be changed only by the Holy Father, and that through a personal audience.

The action committee of the new Bishops’ Synod of the UGCC

+ Eliáš Dohnal OSBM

+ Metod?j Špi?ík OSBM

+ Markian Hitiuk OSBM

+ Samuel R. Oberhauser

                                                                                                                                    Pidhirtsi, 14th August 2008

Address: Bishops’ Synod of the UGCC, Pidhirtsi 19, Brody dist., Lvov reg., 80660 Ukraine      www.community.org.ua