In A message Aimed at the participants of the third assembly of the Pittsburgh Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Archieparchy (Pennsylvania, United States), Leo XIV said that these days of reflection are “a valuable opportunity to grow in unity and reaffirm his commitment to the Lord.”
The meeting takes place in the church of Santa María de Whiting, from July 16 to 20. It was convened by the Metropolitan Archbishop William Skurla and the Council of Hierarcas.
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According to Papal liturgythe Byzantine rite is one of the five great families of Catholic Eastern rites, together with Alexandrian, Antioquene, Armenian and Chaldean. From these five families several other rites arise that today enrich the liturgy of the Eastern Catholic churches.
Although in full communion with the Petrino Ministry, the Byzantine rite retains distinctive features: it operates under a different code of canon law. It also celebrates a liturgical year that has some differences with that of the Latin rite, with some unique parties and saints.
The assembly is governed under the motto Come, worship and prostrate ourselves to Christ. The Holy Father, in his message, pointed out that through his liturgical celebrations, his prayer reflection and his fraternal dialogue, the Byzantine Church of Pittsburgh “will surely renew his faithful testimony of Christ, and will deepen his proclamation of the Gospel” within the framework of his rich tradition.
“The participation of the clergy, the religious and the lay faithful, together with representatives of the exarcrado of Toronto and the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, offers a visible sign of communion in the Church,” the Pope wrote.
“I thank you for the testimony of your ancestors, who built vibrant Byzantine communities in North America in the midst of various challenges and uncertainties,” he added.
Leo XIV emphasized that this “brave commitment to the pastoral renewal” that the Byzantine Church of Pittsburgh today professes, is based “on fidelity to its inheritance.”
The Pope assured his spiritual closeness to the participants and entrusted the assembly to the protection of the Blessed Virgin. In addition, he taught them the affectionate blessing, “that I extend all the members of the Archieparquía as a guarantee of wisdom, joy and peace in the Lord.”
Andrés Henríquez
I was born in Caracas in 1996. I am a writer for ACI Press and correspondent of EWTN since 2023. Since then, I cover events of the Catholic Church in Venezuela, Latin America and the world. I have more than 6 years of experience in bilingual media. In addition, in Venezuela I have worked from various fields for freedom and respect for fundamental rights in the country. I am a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.