Pope Francis has announced that Melbourne-based bishop Mykola Bychok will be one of 21 new cardinals to be announced by the Vatican later this year.
Bishop Bychok relocated to Australia from Ukraine in 2020, following his appointment as a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The 44-year-old will be the youngest cardinal to be elected of the 21.
The Ukrainian Catholic Church of Australia, New Zealand and Oceania were quick to congratulate Bychok.
“This is a significant event for the entire Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian people,” it said.
“Therefore, on behalf of all the clergy and faithful of the Eparchy of Melbourne, we sincerely congratulate Bishop Mykola on his proclamation as a cardinal.”
The Pope announced that Bychok will become a cardinal at the conclave in December. There will now be 256 members of the College of Cardinals, with 141 being under the age of 80, meaning they would elect a new pope when necessary.
In his announcement in Rome over the weekend, Pope Francis acknowledged the diversity of the group.
“Their origins expresses the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God’s merciful love to all people on earth,” he said.
Photo: Pope Francis by the Catholic Church of England and Wales is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.
