Prayers for Deceased Bishops Offered During Synod in Rome: “A Sign of Unity Among the Bishops of Our Entire Church”
On July 5, during the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), taking place at the Ukrainian Pontifical College of St. Josaphat in Rome, a joint prayer service was held in memory of the Church’s deceased bishops.
The Divine Liturgy on this day was celebrated by Bishop Teodor Martynyuk, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv. Following the Liturgy, a Panakhyda (memorial service) for the departed bishops was led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC.
The bishops prayed for all UGCC archbishops who have passed away, with special remembrance for three emeritus bishops who died in the past year: Bishop Stepan Chmil, Bishop Basil Losten, and Bishop Wasyl Medwit.
In comments to the Information Department of the UGCC, Bishop Teodor Martynyuk emphasized the spiritual unity shared between living and deceased bishops:
“The College of Bishops is one body. It is not only those currently in office who are important for the life of the Church. The bishops who have passed away remain united with us—they participate spiritually in the Synods and in the gatherings taking place today. That is why prayerful remembrance of them is a sign of their ongoing presence among us. It is a symbol of unity among the bishops of our entire Church, both living and departed. For this reason, every Synod includes a Divine Liturgy and Panakhyda offered for the deceased bishops.”
Among those remembered by name during the Liturgy and Panakhyda were Patriarchs Josyf Slipyj, Myroslav-Ivan Lubachivsky, and Lubomyr Husar; Metropolitans Andrey Sheptytsky, Sylwester Sembratowicz, and Julian Sas-Kuiłowski; as well as underground bishops, eparchs, exarchs, and auxiliary bishops from both Ukraine and the diaspora.
