Bishop Iryney Ihor Bilyk,

O.S.B.M. The Order of Saint Basil the Great (; , abbreviated OSBM), also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, is a Greek Catholic monastic order of pontifical right that works actively among Ukrainian Catholics and other Greek-Catholic churc ...

(; born 2 January 1950) is a

Ukrainian Greek Catholic The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a major archiepiscopal '' sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. ...

hierarch. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of

Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk The Archparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk (or Ivano-Frankivsk of the Ukrainians) is a Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ecclesiastical territory or archeparchy of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. It was erected in 2011. It is the metropolitan of an eccles ...

from 15 August 1989 until 21 July 2000 (from 16 January 1991 as Titular Bishop of Novae), as an Eparchial Bishop of

Buchach Buchach (, ; ; or ; ; ; ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city located on the Strypa River (a tributary of the Dniester) in Chortkiv Raion of Ternopil Oblast (Oblast, province) of Western Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Buchach urban h ...

since from 21 July 2000 until 27 July 2007 and as Canon of

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore Santa Maria Maggiore (), also known as the Basilica of Saint Mary Major or the Basilica of Saint Mary the Great, is one of the four major papal basilicas and one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. The largest Marian church in Rome, it is ...

since 27 July 2007.

Life

Bishop Bilyk was born in the family of clandestine Greek-Catholics Ivan and Anna (née Krentiv) Bilyk. After graduating from school education, he three times joined different universities, but two times was excluded, because of religion persecutions. Finally, after a compulsory service in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

, he graduated Faculty of Physics in

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv The Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (; also known as Kyiv University, Shevchenko University, or KNU) is a public university in Kyiv, Ukraine. The university is the third-oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and ...

in 1977. Then he worked almost ten years in the Soviet

North Caucasus The North Caucasus, or Ciscaucasia, is a subregion in Eastern Europe governed by Russia. It constitutes the northern part of the wider Caucasus region, which separates Europe and Asia. The North Caucasus is bordered by the Sea of Azov and the B ...

in Kabardino-Balkar ASSR. During all this time he was clandestine member of the

Order of Saint Basil the Great The Order of Saint Basil the Great (; , abbreviated OSBM), also known as the Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat, is a Greek Catholic monastic order of pontifical right that works actively among Ukrainian Catholics and other Greek-Catholic churc ...

, where he had a

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

in October 1967 and a solemn profession on 13 October 1978. Bilyk was ordained as

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

on 14 October 1978, after completing clandestine theological studies. Then he continued his studies, after liberty of the Ukrainian Catholics in the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He served as priest clandestinely in time of persecution and after this, during 1990–1994 was the Rector of the new-revived Theological Academy in

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk (, ), formerly Stanyslaviv, Stanislav and Stanisławów, is a city in western Ukraine. It serves as the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast as well as Ivano-Frankivsk Raion within the oblast. Ivano-Frankivsk also host ...

. On 15 August 1989 Fr. Bilyk was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

to the

Episcopate A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

as auxiliary bishop. His consecration was the last one in the "Catacomb Church", before

Dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

. The principal and

consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

was clandestine bishop Sofron Dmyterko. On 16 January 1991 this consecration, among other clandestine consecrations, was confirmed by

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

with appointment as Titular Bishop of Novae.

References

1950 births Living people Clergy from Lviv Oblast Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv alumni Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Ukrainian Eastern Catholics Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Order of Saint Basil the Great {{UkrainianGreekCatholic-bishop-stub