Husar comments on his new role (11/03/96)

Husar comments on his new role

by Oksana Kolinchenko and Roman Woronowycz

LVIV - Bishop Lubomyr Husar made it clear on October 22 that his new position as auxiliary bishop to the head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, although giving him extraordinary powers, does not in any way put him in a position closer to the title of major archbishop of the Church.

As Bishop Husar stated at a press conference after the closing of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, "The responsibilities that I have received are accorded for as long as [the major archbishop] wishes and as long as they are needed. It is not that I have been given power as if to a new administration."

Bishop Husar was appointed on October 14 as Major Archbishop Myroslav Lubachivsky's auxiliary with extraordinary powers. They include the ability to "call synods, preside over them and approve their decisions," which U.S. Metropolitan Stephen Sulyk explained to The Weekly the day after the announcement. The major archbishop, who is 82 years old, has kept a low profile for the last three years and lately has been ill.

Bishop Husar's appointment absolutely does not provide for the right of succession. "When His Beatitude dies, and with God's blessing that will not soon happen, all my authority dies with him," he explained, underscoring that he has not assumed the position of a co-adjutor. "I am simply an assistant with extraordinary powers."

He said his powers give him "practical administrative control" and that Cardinal Lubachivsky retains his status as head of the Church. "His Beatitude delegates to me, but I am not some new canonical creation," explained Bishop Husar.

The new administrative leader of the Church was selected because of his close personal relationship with the ailing archbishop, who had asked the Synod of Bishops to appoint an individual or a group with whom he could work and continue to be effective. Bishop Husar said the synod ruled out a combined temporary leadership. "To divide these responsibilities among several individuals, as was attempted earlier, could have led to misunderstandings and tension," he explained.

Bishop Husar was appointed on April 2 as bishop of the newly created Kyiv-Vyshhorod Exarchate, a position he will now vacate. "I will be returning to Lviv because I need to be near His Beatitude." He said he would appoint the new bishop of Kyiv-Vyshhorod after consultation with the major-archbishop.

"You know, I just recently brought the last load of my belongings from Lviv to Kyiv. Some of it is still in boxes. Now I have to pack it up and haul it back," he said.