17.10.2007, [16:44] // UGCC // RISU.ORG.UA
Philadelphia – For the first time being held outside of Europe, the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) was conducted in Philadelphia, U.S.A., on 27 September – 06 October 2007, gathering 41 eparches of the UGCC from Ukraine, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. The Synod decided to make the year 2008 the Year of Christian Vocation in all spheres of human life.
According to ugcc.org.ua, the issue of evangelization was at the top of the agenda. Also, the Holy Synod reviewed the pastoral conditions of the UGCC in the world. When asked the question “Who should conduct evangelization?” the Synod answered that all members of the church, conscious of being endowed with the gift of faith from God, should share this gift. In its answer to the question: “Who should be evangelized?”, the Synod stressed it is necessary to differentiate between those who believe but are passive in their faith; those who are alienated from God and the church for some reason, and those who have not heard of Jesus Christ and his doctrine.
Nevertheless, the Synod highlighted that evangelization should never grow into proselytization, imposing conversion of the faithful of another Church. Also, the Synod discussed the essence of evangelization. The official statement reads: “There is one true faith in God, but each Christian tradition interprets it in its specific manner. And such perception is something that we call individual godliness of the national Church.