Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR—the Melbourne-based Head of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul, and the youngest of 21 new cardinals-designate recently announced by Pope Francis—has had what he described as ‘a very big week’.
Speaking at a press conference at the Sts Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in North Melbourne on Monday 14 October, Bishop Bychok—the pastor for Ukrainian Catholics throughout Australia, New Zealand and Oceania—explained that the announcement came as ‘a complete surprise’.
People have been asking him, ‘Do you remember when you heard the news?’ he said. ‘It is something I will never forget.’
A flood of messages came through. To be honest, at first, I thought that was a joke.
Bishop Bychok was on a pastoral visit in Brisbane, and at dinner with his phone turned off, when the Pope made the announcement in Rome.
‘When I turned my phone back on, a flood of messages came through. To be honest, at first, I thought that was a joke. It has taken some time for it all to begin sinking in.’
While he is yet to learn the particulars of the appointment, he said he ‘obediently and willingly’ accepts ‘this great privilege of being a voice to the experiences and challenges of so many in need—most particularly the Ukrainian people, and the faithful of Australia’.
While he has met Pope Francis ‘maybe three times’, he said he had not had an opportunity to speak with him directly since his appointment. He had, however, ‘received many, many messages of support from some cardinals, and especially from the bishops here in Australia, for which I am really grateful.’
In fact, Bishop Bychok said he had received ‘countless messages of encouragement’ in recent days, expressing his deep thanks ‘for this continued support, not just for myself but for the peoples of Ukraine’.
Pointing out that a cardinal is an honorary appointment at the service of the Pope, and an advisory role ‘that requires me to be attentive to the needs of the Church in the world today’, he suggested that his appointment is—‘as the Holy Father said this week—an expression of the universality of the Church, “which continues to proclaim God’s merciful love to all people on earth”.’
The appointment does not ‘supersede’ his current role, he said. ‘I remain, first and foremost, the Eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, and a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, united with His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, our Father and Head, and my brother bishops in the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.’
I am still the Bishop for Ukrainians here in Australia and New Zealand, and in Oceania ... I love this country. Melbourne is my home.
He also reiterated his commitment to continuing his ‘deep collaboration’ with his brother bishops in Australia, from both the Latin and Eastern traditions.
‘We are blessed to be a living in this country free of war and conflict, which has become a place of peace and hope for many refugees and migrants,’ he said.
When asked, Bishop Bychok said he has no plans to return to Ukraine. ‘I am still the Bishop for Ukrainians here in Australia and New Zealand, and in Oceania. I love this country,’ he said. ‘Melbourne is my home.’
Downplaying the idea that the appointment of such a young bishop might have special significance, Bishop Bychok pointed out that Pope Francis had also named a 99-year-old among the new cardinals-designate. Similarly, he said, the Pope had made a habit of appointing cardinals from all around the world, ‘especially in those areas where there are small congregations of Catholics’. While the population of the Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul is small, he said, it is spread across a vast territory.
‘I was surprised by this nomination,’ he said, ‘but God works in mysterious ways. Maybe after a few months or a few years, we will see a special sign of this nomination. It will be a great opportunity for me and His Beatitude [Patriarch Sviatoslav] to be like one heart and one voice before the Holy See—especially for His Holiness Pope Francis.’
Displayed at the press conference was a Ukrainian flag carried by a group of Ukrainian soldiers through a time of incredible bravery, sacrifice and suffering—an item that Bishop Bychok described as ‘very precious to me’.
In 2014, when Russia invaded and occupied Crimea and Donetsk—initiating a spiralling conflict that continues to this day—a number of Ukrainian soldiers based in Donetsk began to defend their homeland, soon finding themselves ‘behind enemy lines’.
The flag displayed by Bishop Bychok was carried by these soldiers into battle, remaining with them at all times. In 2014, it was carried in battles in Karlivka and Maryanka, and in 2015, Ukrainian soldiers carried it with them into Avdijivka, Pisky, Krasnohorivka and Donetsk.
This flag ... is a symbol of hope for all who suffer persecution, loss, displacement and the pains of war. It is also a stark reminder that the marginalised can never be forgotten.
Eventually, Russian forces captured the soldiers, who became prisoners of war. The flag remained with the soldiers as they were beaten and tortured, sometimes with the flag tightly wrapped around their heads. Carrying the imprint of boots and blood, the flag was eventually passed on to a volunteer, who in turn gave the precious relic to Bishop Mykola as a symbol of the heroism of the Ukrainian service men and women who sacrificially defended their homeland against Russian aggression.
For Bishop Mykola and his Ukrainian flock, the tattered flag remains a symbol of the huge price that Ukraine has paid, and continues to pay, for her freedom. It is a memorial for those who have died and a reminder not to forget those who have disappeared without trace, the imprisoned, kidnapped, displaced and suffering.
‘This flag is a relic of bravery,’ Bishop Bychok said. It ‘bears the blood and marks of my fellow Ukrainians tortured in defending their homeland. It is a symbol of hope for all who suffer persecution, loss, displacement and the pains of war. It is also a stark reminder that the marginalised can never be forgotten.’
Asked about the significance of his appointment in relation to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Bishop Bychok said part of his role would be to ‘proclaim what is happening in Ukraine this very moment’.
‘As you know, many things are happening in Ukraine, and we should care and be good witnesses for … the Holy See. It is a beautiful dignity for me as a Cardinal-designate to share my thoughts with His Holiness, Pope Francis.’
It will be a difficult winter for all Ukrainians, especially during this continued time of war.
While Bishop Bychok’s own family live in a relatively safe part of Ukraine, near the border with Poland, he pointed out that last winter, they were nevertheless without electricity and hot water for long periods. Observing that this year also ‘will be a difficult winter for all Ukrainians, especially during this continued time of war’, he echoed the message of Pope Francis at a recent Angelus: ‘Please stop killing innocent people. Winter is approaching. Please do not freeze Ukrainians this winter.’
As he continues to process the news of his appointment, Bishop Bychok asked for the prayers of the Catholic faithful, not just for himself but for all those in need of God’s strength, help and guidance.
‘Here today, under the patronage of Sts Peter and Paul—the great witnesses and martyrs of the Church—I ask for your prayers as I embark on this new journey. But importantly, I ask for your prayers for those who are most in need.’
Banner image: Cardinal-designate Mykola Bychok CSsR, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Sts Peter and Paul, at a press conference at the Sts Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in North Melbourne on Monday 14 October.