The Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, His Excellency Archbishop
Antonio Mennini, has released the following statement: “The Holy Father
Pope Benedict XVI has elevated the Ukrainian Apostolic Exarchate in
Great Britain to the rank of Eparchy, with the title of the Holy Family
(Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London), and has
appointed as its first Eparchial Bishop, His Excellency Bishop Hlib
Borys Sviatoslav Lonchyna, until now Apostolic Exarch of the same
circumscription.”
The Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Great Britain was
established in England and Wales in 1957 and was extended to Scotland
and Great Britain in 1968.
An Apostolic Exarchate in the Eastern
Catholic Church is similar to an Apostolic Vicariate in the Latin Rite
Catholic Church.
It is headed by a Titular Bishop as its Ordinary with
the title of Exarch.
With the elevation of the Ukrainian Apostolic
Exarchate in Great Britain to the rank of Eparchy, Bishop Hlib Lonchyna
is no longer the Titular Bishop of Bareta but becomes the first Bishop
of the new Eparchy (Diocese) of the Holy Family of London.
Born in Steubenville, Ohio in February 1954, Bishop Lonchyna was
ordained to the priesthood in July 1977. He was appointed Titular Bishop
of Bareta and ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv, Ukraine on 27 February
2002.
On 14 January 2003 he was appointed Apostolic Visitor for the
Ukrainian Greek–Catholics in Italy. On 4 March 2004 he became Apostolic
Visitor in Spain and Ireland.
In 2009, he was appointed Apostolic
Administrator 'sede vacante' of the Apostolic Exarchate for
Ukrainian Catholics in Britain and Ireland.
He was formally named
Apostolic Exarch by Pope Benedict XVI on 14 June 2011 and was installed
on 2 August 2011.
Bishop Hlib’s appointment as Eparch is with immediate
effect.