‘At first, I thought it was a joke’ - Meet the world's youngest cardinal

Cardinal Mykola Bychok is from a small Ukrainian Catholic diocese far from Rome. His life has just changed dramatically.

If you visited the Cathedral Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Melbourne last Friday, you would have come upon a liturgy that most Catholics haven’t seen before: A hierarchical Divine Liturgy, commemorating the elevation of Cardinal Mykola Bychok, Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania, to the College of Cardinals.

Bishop Richard Umbers takes a selfie with Cardinal Mykola Bychok at a Feb. 14 liturgy. Credit: Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.

The liturgy was attended by Australians bishops, and clergy from other Eastern Catholic Churches.

Cardinal Bychok is the seventh cardinal in the history of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, beginning with Isidore, the 15th-century Metropolitan of Kyiv and one of the key figures in the Union of Florence, which remains which remains highly important to the UGCC’s identity.

During the solemn consistory that made him a cardinal, at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on December 7, 2024, many noticed a bishop wearing an unusual headdress—a black koukol—rarely seen today except in engravings of 16-17th-century bishops of the Kyivan Metropolia. It was Bychok.

Cardinal Mykola Bychok. Courtesy photo.

But the elevation of a bishop from the world’s smallest Ukrainian Catholic diocese—representing a minority within Australia's already small Catholic community—came as a surprise to many.

To some Catholics, Bychok’s appointment would seem to align with Pope Francis’ emphasis on amplifying voices from the periphery of the Catholic Church.

It isn’t just that Cardinal Bychok is from a small diocese, far from Rome. He is also the youngest cardinal in the Catholic Church, and one of the youngest bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church — the cardinal turned 45 last week.

He belongs to a generation of clergy raised after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Church's emergence from the underground.

The new cardinal is a member of the Redemptorists, and was educated in Ukraine and Poland. He has served in Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, before leaving in 2020 to become a bishop for the Ukrainian diaspora in Australia.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Your Eminence, why did you choose the path of not only a priest but also a member of the Redemptorists, a religious community?

I felt my vocation to religious life at the age of 15, while still in school. The Redemptorist community helped me recognize my calling, as I regularly attended services at their parish in Ternopil. Later, I began serving alongside the fathers on missions and retreats. The example of their lives and their great zeal in preaching the Word of God influenced me deeply. Their devoted service to God and to people filled me with wonder and admiration, which eventually grew into a burning desire to join them.

From the stories of my first spiritual teacher, Fr. Mykhailo Shevchyshyn, I learned about the ministry of our fathers and brothers in the underground Church, about their endurance and courage during those difficult times. My second spiritual teacher, Fr. Volodymyr Vons, a representative of the younger generation of Redemptorists, became a living example of how one can fully dedicate one’s youth to God. To this day, the Redemptorist community remains of great importance to me.

Who is your role model in life? Could you name a few spiritual leaders who have inspired you and continue to inspire you?

In the context of my cardinal ministry, my predecessors as cardinals are certainly my role models: Josyf Slipyj [head of the UGCC from 1944 to1984], Myroslav Lubachivsky [head of the UGCC from 1984 to 2000], and Lubomyr Husar [head of the UGCC from 2001-2011].

I often quote Patriarch Lubomyr Husar, who, despite his high status, was able to speak very simply and clearly. He once said: “My dream in life is to be a human being. But I do not know one hundred percent what it means to be a human being. My dream in life is to be human, even in prayer. To be a good person, a normal person.”

Similarly, in my ministry, I always try to “just be a person.”

For me, the martyr bishops, particularly the Redemptorists Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky and Blessed Mykola Charnetsky, as well as the priests who were taken to Gulag camps, and the grandparents who passed on our faith to the next generations despite prohibitions and dangers, are also worthy examples to follow.

You served for some time in Russia. It must have been a rather unique experience. What is it like to be a Ukrainian priest in Russia?

Yes, of course, my time in Russia was special in my pastoral ministry. In 1947, the so-called Operation West took place, during which many people, both laypeople and priests, who disagreed with the Soviet government were forcibly deported from the Western Ukraine to Siberia.

In 1959, Fr. Vasyl Rudka, a Redemptorist, went to Siberia to serve these people. He was the first priest to go there. In 2004, as a deacon, I had the opportunity to visit Siberia for the first time to complete my deacon’s practice, organize several youth and children’s camps, and discover Siberia for myself. In June 2005, after my ordination, I went on missionary work in Siberia. After becoming a priest, I wanted to convert the world completely. I had great missionary zeal, and I wanted to do everything I could for the people. The work in Siberia was truly a mission because we had to travel constantly, visiting our people over long distances, from 50 to 300 kilometers. It was an important period in my priestly ministry that I will never forget.

Our Redemptorist priests were forced to end their ministry there in 2014, following the occupation of Crimea, after 55 years of service to Ukrainians in Siberia. One of the fathers who carried out his pastoral ministry in Siberia was Fr. Bohdan Geleta, who spent more than a year and a half in Russian captivity starting in November 2022.

What was your experience of ministry in the U.S.? How does ministry in the diaspora differ from pastoral work in, say, Western Ukraine?

Ministry in the diaspora is ministry in a foreign land, serving a diverse community—people who left Ukraine long ago, those who have never been in the land of their forefathers, and those who have recently arrived. Ministry in Ukraine, particularly in the west, in Ivano-Frankivsk, is ministry at home. In Ukraine, many more people attend services every day, and the work of a priest differs even within different regions, such as the center or east of Ukraine.

In the United States, most people attend church only on Sundays, and occasionally on Saturdays for special events like weddings or baptisms. From Monday to Friday, we would celebrate the Liturgy, prayer services, or other services with just a few people, often only with cantor. Of course, sometimes people would come, but our work in the U.S. was more missionary. The church there did not wait for people to come; it went to them. During the week, we tried to visit our parishioners—especially the sick and elderly—to talk with them on various topics and answer their questions. I think this is the main difference.

Continuing the theme of ministry in the diaspora: What do you think is the mission of the Ukrainian Catholic Church outside of Ukraine? Is it to provide care for Ukrainian migrants, or does it also include preaching to people from other ethnic groups?

As a Ukrainian Church, our primary task is to provide spiritual support for Ukrainians who are here. However, we must recognize that diasporas in different countries vary in some ways.

For example, in Australia, our Church is mostly made up of families who arrived during the third wave of Ukrainian migration in the 1950s, followed by a wave in the 1970s, and a third group came after the war in former Yugoslavia. In some of our parishes, up to 80% are Ukrainians from Bosnia who have never been to Ukraine, [small groups of Ukrainians settled in Bosnia in the 19th century].

There are no new arrivals; since Ukraine’s independence, only a few Ukrainians have come to Australia.

There are many mixed marriages, and this presents some challenges, especially since Australia is a very secularized country where Christian values are increasingly lost. This is a challenge for all churches, but especially for ours. While we are the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, this does not mean that we are only for Ukrainians, nor should we be closed to others.

The Church should remain open, as Jesus Christ said: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

Therefore, the role of our Church in the world should not be limited to serving only Ukrainians.

What is the Eparchy of the UGCC for St. Peter and Paul in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania? What is its structure, how many Catholics are there, and where are the parishes located? Do they also exist in New Zealand and Oceania?

The Eparchy of Ss. Peter and Paul for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania covers a total area of 8,919,530 square kilometers and includes both mainland Australia and the Oceania islands.

Within this vast area, we have 10 parishes and 10 mission stations. The priest visits New Zealand, which is considered a mission station, once every six months and attempts to visit all the cities where Ukrainians reside. Even if only a few people are present, they request a priest to visit them.

Compared to similar communities in the United States or Canada, our Ukrainian community is much smaller—about 8,000 faithful. However, given the distances between our parishes and missions, our priests and I must travel extensively to visit all our faithful. Most of our parishioners are from the 60+ generation, but we also make efforts to engage with younger people. We often find them at Ukrainian scouting and Ukrainian Youth Association camps, which is why our chaplains are assigned to these organizations. I make it a point to visit their summer camps at least once a year, usually in late December and early January, and spend several days with the members.

Our priests also try to celebrate liturgies for children in their parishes at least once a month.

What was the most unusual thing for you after arriving in Australia?

Before coming to Australia, I had already served in various countries, so I can’t say there was anything that truly impressed or surprised me. However, what I found unusual and strange was the timing of my arrival. I was ordained on June 7, 2020, and arrived in Australia almost a year later, on May 24, 2021. There were strict restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so upon arrival, I had to spend two weeks in quarantine at a hotel in Sydney, which I would describe as complete isolation.

I was enthroned on July 12, 2021, and just four days later, we entered a four-month lockdown. During that time, only five people were allowed to attend liturgies: a bishop, a priest, a deacon, a sexton, and the fifth person who broadcasted the services. That’s how my first months in Australia unfolded.

How did you learn that you were named a cardinal? How was this perceived in Australia? After all, our church there is a “minority within a minority,” and probably not even all Roman Catholics are aware of its existence.

I’ve shared this story many times before, so I won’t say anything new. I learned about the news in Brisbane, in the eastern part of Australia. On that day, our parish was celebrating the Feast of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When it was noon in Rome and the Pope announced the nomination, it was already evening in Australia—around 9 p.m. We had just finished dinner, and my phone was off. When I turned it on afterward, I saw many missed calls and messages congratulating me on the cardinal’s proclamation.

At first, I thought it was a joke.

But when I went to the official Vatican website, I saw that it wasn’t a joke—it was real. Honestly, I was shocked. That’s how I found out about my nomination. The whole world knew by then; social media was probably buzzing, but I didn’t find out until an hour later than everyone else.

Given my age and the fact that I come from a generation of younger bishops, this appointment surprised many people. It was unusual compared to the past. For example, the previous cardinals in Australia were archbishops of Sydney, and it would have seemed that the current archbishop of Sydney should have been made a cardinal. In other words, they could have thought of him first as a future cardinal, or of the other archbishops, but certainly not of me.

What does it mean for you to be an Eastern Catholic cardinal? For the Eastern Catholic Churches, this is still somewhat unusual, even as it is becoming more common. Is it because the cardinalate is deeply rooted in the tradition of the Latin Church?

Yes, indeed, in our Church there is no special rank like this in the hierarchy. For me, this appointment does not change who I am, as I remain, first and foremost, the Bishop for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. I am also a Bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in unity with His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, our Father and Head, and my brother bishops in the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

I continue to work closely with my brother bishops in Australia, both from the Latin and Eastern traditions.

The college of cardinals, as far as I understand, represents a new scale of responsibility. While a bishop primarily focuses on his local church, a cardinal, to a certain extent, must also consider matters on a universal scale. In your opinion, what are the most important issues on the agenda of the universal Catholic Church today?

My appointment as a cardinal took place amid the special circumstances of the war in Ukraine. So, of course, one of the Church's priorities now, in my opinion, should be to actively serve as a mediator for a just peace, not only in Ukraine but also in the Middle East and other parts of the world experiencing war and conflict.

Our second task is to combat secularization. Having served as a priest in the United States and as a bishop in Australia, I have witnessed how secularization has affected both society and the Church. We are called to be missionaries—to help people rediscover the love of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. We need to help people realize that the Church is a place of encounter with the living God, especially through the holy sacraments — confession and the Eucharist. These two sacraments are, of course, deeply interconnected. True peace in the world will come only when people have peace in their hearts—the peace that comes from the love of Christ.

What, in your opinion, is the mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches today within the universal Church?

I can give you an example from here. Australia is a country made up of many migrants, and they form the backbone of the Catholic Church in this country. There are five Eastern Catholic Churches in Australia: Ukrainian, Syro-Malabar, Melkite, Maronite, and Chaldean, all of which have brought with them their deep cultural traditions and strong faith in Christ. We are all members of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, which gathers all Catholic bishops of Australia twice a year for plenary meetings.

Our Church, especially our liturgy, is very popular with Australian youth. For example, our church in Sydney has an English-speaking choir made up of Australian Catholics who sing Vespers on Saturdays and the Divine Liturgy on Sundays. This is a living example of our mutual enrichment.

The UGCC has had several cardinals in previous centuries. What is the most important lesson you draw from their experience and activities? What does it mean to be a Ukrainian cardinal?

In my life, I have had the opportunity to see only two Ukrainian cardinals: Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky and Lubomyr Husar.

Being a Ukrainian cardinal is, above all, a great responsibility.

My predecessors, Patriarch Josyf Cardinal Slipyj, who was released after 18 years in the Soviet gulag and moved to Rome, became the voice of our Church in the free world. Through various forums, he emphasized the persecution of the Churches in the USSR and called for more radical actions to protect the rights of the faithful.

His Beatitude Myroslav-Ivan Cardinal Lubachivsky, who returned to lead the Church in Ukraine despite his age and physical infirmity, created structures and institutions that helped our Church transition from persecution to freedom. His Beatitude Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, thanks to whom the UGCC, after emerging from the underground and reviving in western Ukraine, moved its Church center from Lviv to Kyiv and launched the active development of the UGCC in central, eastern, and southern Ukraine, left me with a worthy example to follow.

To be a Ukrainian cardinal is a great privilege. This privilege is not granted to me alone but, first and foremost, to our Church and our long-suffering people.

In addition to being a bishop of the UGCC, you are also a Catholic bishop in Australia, and it is obvious that your status in this country and in the Church on this land has changed. Your responsibility has increased.

What are the challenges facing the Catholic community in Australia today? What new tasks do you have for yourself?

As I mentioned earlier, our challenge here in Australia is secularization. It is affecting society, the Church, our people, and vocations to monastic and priestly ministry. However, my task remains the same as it has always been – to show people the love of God. And the best way to show people Christ is to follow His example in your personal life, to be close to people, especially those who are most in need and rejected.

After Cardinal Josyf Slipyj and Cardinal Władysław Rubin, you are the third cardinal from Ternopil region. What is so special about your small homeland that it has already given the world its third cardinal?

To tell you the truth, I don't know why it happened this way. I don't know why the Holy Father Francis chose me. God has a plan for each of us, which we do not always understand. The Ternopil region is a land with rich spiritual heritage and deep faith of its people. Perhaps it is this faith and commitment to Christian values that has become the basis for such vocations.