Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv

The Archeparchy of Lviv is an archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The eparchy was established at some time during the mid 12th century, with its see originally in Halych. In 1303 it was raised to a second Metropolia of the Ukrainian Church and held such status during several periods of the 14th century, until after 1401 the title of the vacated province was moved to the Metropolitan of Kyiv. In the mid 1539 the eparchy was reestablished with its see moved to Lviv. The eparchy at first did not recognize the Union of Brest of 1596, which restored full communion with the Holy See, and joined it only in 1700.

Following the Partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at the end of 18th century when most of the Ukrainian lands fell under Russian rule, the Metropolia of Halych was reestablished in 1807, covering the Austrian ruled region of Halychyna and Lviv was elevated to the rank of archeparchy.

After the Second World War, in 1946 the Archeparchy, together with the entire Ukrainian Church was forcefully subjected under the Russian Orthodox Church, however it secretly continued to function its canonical territory and in 1969 was elevated by Blessed Pope John XXIII to the rank of Major Archeparchy.

After the collapse the Church could begin restoring canonical regularity. When the Major Archeparchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church returned from the city of Lviv to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in 2004, Lviv remained an archeparchy.

The current Archbishop of Lviv is Archbishop Ihor Vozniak, C.S.S.R. He was auxiliary bishop of the Major Archeparchy of Lviv during 2001–2004, and with the renaming of the Major Archeparchy of the UGCC, he became auxiliary bishop of the new Ukrainian Catholic Major Archeparchy of Kyiv-Halych in December 2004. In 2005, the Holy Father Benedict XVI named him as the first archbishop of the new Archeparchy of Lviv.

External links

* [http://www.ugcc.lviv.ua Official website] uk icon