Bishop Mykola Bychok — Cardinal of the Catholic Church
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, His Grace Bishop Mykola Bychok, Eparch of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania, was elevated to the dignity of Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church by His Holiness Pope Francis.
The ceremony took place in St. Peter’s Basilica and began with a short prayer and a reading from the Gospel of Mark. In this passage, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, ask Jesus to allow them to sit at His right and left in His glory. Then Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that those who are supposed to rule over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42–45).
Following the Gospel reading, Pope Francis delivered a homily, emphasising that the cardinal’s ministry must have Jesus Christ and His teachings as its centre, foundation, and primary focus.
After the homily, the formal ceremony of creating the new cardinals began. Pope Francis declared: “Dear brothers and sisters, we are about to carry out an agreeable and solemn task of our sacred ministry. It chiefly concerns the Church of Rome, but it also affects the entire ecclesial community: we will call certain of our brethren to enter the College of Cardinals, so that they may be united to the Chair of Peter by a closer bond our apostolic ministry. Having been invested with the sacred purple, they are to be fearless witnesses to Christ and his Gospel in the City of Rome and in faraway regions. Therefore, by the authority of almighty God, of Saints Peter and Paul and our Own, we create and solemnly proclaim Cardinals of Holy Roman Church these brothers of ours.” He then read the names of the newly proclaimed cardinals.
The new cardinals recited the Profession of faith and took an oath of fidelity, pledging to remain faithful to Christ and His Gospel for the rest of their lives. They also promised to remain obedient to the Holy Apostolic Roman Church and the Holy Father and to join the ranks of the Roman clergy, working closely with Pope Francis and his canonical successors.
Each cardinal received a scarlet biretta, symbolising the dignity of the cardinalate and their readiness to defend the Christian faith with courage, even to the point of martyrdom. They also received a cardinal’s ring, signifying their love for the Church, which is strengthened by the love of the Prince of the Apostles. Additionally, each cardinal was assigned with the title/deaconry of titular church in honour of Almighty God and Saints Peter and Paul. Bishop Mykola received the title of Basilica of Santa Sofia, which will now be his cardinal seat in Rome.
It is worth noting that, as Bishop Mykola belongs to the Eastern Catholic Church, his vestments differed somewhat from the traditional attire of the other cardinals. He wore a purple robe in the old Kyivan tradition, adorned with embroidered images of Saints Peter and Paul. On his head, he wore a black koukoul in accordance with Ukrainian monastic tradition, styled after the 17th-century Brest Union and trimmed with a thin red border.
On this day, in addition to Bishop Mykola Bychok, 20 new cardinals were created.
As part of the Consistory for the Proclamation of New Cardinals, there is a tradition known as a “courtesy visit” to the new cardinals. Immediately after the Consistory, clergy and faithful from around the world who had come to Rome to share in this joyous event with Bishop Mykola had the opportunity to meet the newly proclaimed cardinal in the Hall of Blessing (Aula della Benedizione), located at the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica.
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