First press conference of cardinal-designate Bishop Mykola Bychok held in Melbourne
On Monday, October 14, the first official press conference of the cardinal-designate Bishop Mykola Bychok, the ruling bishop of the Melbourne Eparchy of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, was held at the Cathedral Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Melbourne.
The event, attended by representatives of both Catholic and secular media, was moderated by Fr. Simon Ckuj, Protosynkellos of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne. He welcomed everyone present and briefly spoke about Bishop Mykola’s journey to Australia and his ministry in the country.
In his address, Bishop Mykola shared how he received the news of his new appointment and emphasized that, although he does not yet know the details of this role, he humbly and gratefully accepts the privilege of being the voice of the Ukrainian people and faithful in Australia, bearing witness to their experiences and challenges.
“This appointment is not one that supersedes who I am now,” emphasised Bishop Mykola. “I remain first and foremost the Eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, and a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church united with His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, our Father and Head, and my brother bishops in the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. I continue my deep collaboration with my brother bishops in Australia, both Latin and Eastern traditions. We are blessed to be living in this country free of war and conflict, which has become a place of peace and hope for many refugees and migrants.”
Bishop Mykola brought a special relic to the press conference — a Ukrainian flag, which was given to him by a volunteer from Ukraine. “This very flag was carried by Ukrainian soldiers into battle and remained with them at all times. It was carried in battles in 2014 in Karlivka, Mariinka, and in 2015 into Avdiivka, Pisky, Krasnogorivka, and Donetsk. Eventually these brave soldiers were captured as POW’s by Russian forces. The flag was with them. The soldiers were beaten and tortured sometimes with the flag tightly wrapped around their heads. The flag carries the imprint of boots and blood. In a rather miraculous way, this flag was passed on to a volunteer, who in turn gifted this precious memorial to me as a relic of the heroism of Ukrainian servicemen and women who defended their homeland against Russian aggression.”
Answering journalists’ questions about the situation in Ukraine, the cardinal-designate quoted Pope Francis’ words from the day before during a traditional prayer in St. Peter’s Square in Rome: “I appeal to you to prevent Ukrainians from dying from the cold, to stop air strikes on civilians, who always suffer the most. Stop killing innocents!” He added, “I think this appeal of Pope Francis is very important for Ukraine. I support it because it will be a difficult winter for all Ukrainians, especially given the ongoing war.”
In conclusion, Bishop Mykola expressed his gratitude for the support he received after the announcement of his appointment. He urged the audience to pray for him and, above all, to remember to pray for those who are suffering the most today.
Press office of the Melbourne Eparchy
