Pope Francis has announced Australia’s eighth cardinal – the youngest cardinal in fact, 44-year-old Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, the Eparch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia.
The announcement was made on Sunday 6 October after the Angelus, where Pope Francis stated he would hold a Consistory for the creation of 21 new Cardinals on 8 December 2024, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, in the Vatican.
On the selection of the new cardinals, Pope Francis said: “Their origin expresses the universality of the Church, which never ceases to proclaim God’s merciful love for all people on earth. The inclusion of the new cardinals in the Diocese of Rome also reveals the inextricable bond between the Holy See and the local Churches scattered throughout the world.”
Bishop Mykola was surprised to receive the news. “I, as many others, have received this news with great surprise. I am certainly feeling excited because this appointment is a great privilege. This is not a privilege granted to me personally, but a privilege granted by Pope Francis to the entire Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Catholic Church in Australia,” he said.
“I understand how much responsibility this appointment entrusts to me. Responsibility for the life and future of our entire church. Knowing the difficult times that our Ukrainian people are going through because of the war, I will continue to inform the Catholic world about what is happening in our land and constantly remind them of Ukraine.”
“This is also a great responsibility to the Catholic Church in Australia, where faith is gradually being lost and secularisation is spreading. I see these challenges, and I ask the Lord to guide me on this path and help me to accept and respond to them with dignity.”
Bishop Mykola concluded, “Realising this great responsibility, I ask everyone to pray for me, so that the Lord may give me the strength to fulfil the vocation entrusted to me by the Holy Church with dignity!”
Bishop Mykola was ordained a priest in May 2005 and bishop in June 2020, in Lviv, Ukraine. He was installed bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne in July 2021 by Archbishop Peter Comensoli, Archbishop of Melbourne.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe SDB, congratulated Bishop Mykola on behalf of the Conference.
“It is with great joy that the bishops of Australia congratulate Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, on his nomination as one of the new cardinals to be created at the next consistory in Rome on December 8,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
“Since being appointed as the Eparch (bishop) of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia, Bishop Mykola has won the affection and admiration not only of his own people but also of the bishops of Australia.
“He is a valued member of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
“As we congratulate him on this new appointment we are reminded again of the terrible suffering of the people of Ukraine.
“This appointment will bring great joy to Ukrainian Catholics here in Australia and indeed throughout the world.
“We unite with them in praying for an end to the war in their homeland and for the establishment of a just peace.”
Bishop Mykola will be the first Australian-based cardinal since the death of Cardinal George Pell last year.
With thanks to the ACBC.
