Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
| Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Classification | Catholic |
| Orientation | Eastern Catholic, Byzantine Rite |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Leader | Sviatoslav Shevchuk (Major Archbishop) |
| Origin | 1596 (claimed 988) Brest, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Separated from | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Merger of | Catholic Church |
| Separations | Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada |
| Members | 5,300,000 |
| Other name(s) | Ukrainian Catholic Church, Uniate Church |
| Official website | www |
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) (Ukrainian: Українська греко-католицька церква (УГКЦ), Ukrains'ka Hreko-Katolyts'ka Tserkva) is a Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. It is the second-largest particular church (sui juris) in the Catholic Church (after the Latin, or Roman, Church). It traces its origin to the Ruthenian Uniate Church (Latin: Ecclesia Ruthena unita) that existed before the partition of Poland.
The primate of the church holds the office of Archbishop-Major of Kyiv-Halych and All Ruthenia, though the hierarchs and faithful of the church have acclaimed their primate "Patriarch" and have requested Papal recognition of, and elevation to, this title. The church is one of the successor churches to the acceptance of Christianity by Grand Prince Vladimir the Great of Kiev, in 988. The church has followed the spread of the Ukrainian diaspora and now has some 40 hierarchs in over a dozen countries on four continents, including three other metropolitan bishops in Poland, the United States, and Canada. The head of the church is Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, since March 2011.
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Wikipedia