Ukrainian bishop Mykola Bychok has been appointed as a cardinal at the age of 44, making him the youngest in the world.
He serves as the bishop of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne, representing Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.
Pope Francis elevated Bishop Bychok to the rank of cardinal during a ceremony at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on 7th December. The event also saw the appointment of 20 other new cardinals from around the globe.
“Their origins,” Pope Francis stated, “express the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God’s merciful love to all people on earth. Their inclusion in the Diocese of Rome also manifests the inseparable bond between the See of Peter and the particular Churches spread throughout the world.”
Bishop Bychok is a member of the Ukrainian Catholic Church (UCC), the largest of the 23 Eastern Catholic Churches in the global Catholic community, second in size only to the Latin (Roman Catholic) Church. The UCC, which is in full communion with the Apostolic See, has over 5.5 million faithful worldwide.
As part of the cardinalate ceremony, the new cardinals recited the Profession of Faith, took an oath of fidelity, and promised obedience to the Holy Apostolic See. While Pope Francis placed the traditional red skullcap and biretta on most of the new cardinals, he bestowed upon Bishop Bychok the koukoulion, a headpiece in line with Ukrainian monastic tradition.
Speaking to Vatican News about his appointment, Cardinal Bychok emphasised the Church's role as a mediator for peace: “The Church must be proactive in being a mediator of a just peace, not just in Ukraine but in the Middle East and other parts of the world experiencing war and conflict,” he said.
