Michael Brooks
Ukraine is home to three Catholic Churches—two Byzantine rite and one Latin rite—and two Orthodox Churches. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is the largest Catholic Church in the country, with 80% of Ukrainian Catholics belonging to it. Catholicism is largely concentrated in Western Ukraine, where it makes up 28% of the population. Overall, 9% of Ukrainians identify as Catholic, with 8% belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and 1% to the Latin Church.
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What You'll Learn
Ukrainian Greek Catholics make up 8% of the population
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. The ordinary or hierarch of the church holds the title of Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych and All Ruthenia. The current head of the church is Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk. The church has a significant diaspora, with a notable presence in the United States, Canada, Poland, and Brazil, and smaller communities in other parts of Europe, Argentina, and Australia.
The history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church dates back to the 10th century, when Christianity was established as a state religion in Kievan Rus', a state whose heritage is claimed by Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. The church was outlawed under Soviet rule from 1946 to 1989, and its clergy faced persecution, imprisonment, and exile. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Ukraine's independence, the church has experienced a renewal, along with a broader Catholic culture deeply rooted in Ukrainian society.
Ukrainian Greek Catholics are part of the broader Catholic population in Ukraine, which makes up around 9% of the country's religious demographic. The Catholic Church in Ukraine is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. While Ukrainian Greek Catholics comprise the majority of Ukrainian Catholics, there are also adherents to the Latin Church (1%) and the Armenian Catholic Church.
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The Latin Church has a presence in Ukraine
The Latin Church has a long history in Ukraine, dating back to the 10th century when Latin bishops first arrived in Kyiv. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Latin Church played a significant role in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, influencing the cultural and scientific landscape of Ukraine.
In the present day, the Latin Church is one of four sui iuris Catholic churches in Ukraine, including the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, and the Armenian Catholic Church. All four churches are in full communion with each other and the Pope. The Latin Church performs its liturgies according to Latin liturgical rites.
As of 2007, the Latin Church in Ukraine had a significant presence with 905 communities, 88 monasteries, 656 monks and nuns, 527 priests, 713 churches, 39 missions, 8 educational institutions, 551 Sunday schools, and 14 periodical editions. The Latin Church's presence is largely concentrated in Western and Central Ukraine, with about 1% of the country's population adhering to this denomination.
The Latin Church in Ukraine has been strongly associated with Poland and Poles historically, but since Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union, the church has emphasised a Ukrainian identity. This shift in identity has contributed to the development of a distinct Catholic culture in Ukraine, deeply rooted in the country's Byzantine liturgical and spiritual traditions.
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The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is dominant in southwest Ukraine
The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is one of the two Byzantine rite Catholic Churches in Ukraine, the other being the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The Ruthenian Church originally developed among the Rusyn people who lived in Carpathian Ruthenia. The Rusyn people are a stateless people with a culture distinct from Ukrainians, and they have their own language. The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is multi-ethnic today, with members who are descendants of various nationalities, including Slovaks, Hungarians, and Croats, as well as those of non-Slavic and non-Eastern European ancestry.
The Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is also present in other parts of the world, including the United States and Canada. In the United States, the church refers to itself as the "Byzantine Catholic Church" and its full official name is the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh. The bulk of the Ruthenian Church is under the Metropolia of Pittsburgh. In Canada, there are only a few Ruthenian Greek Catholic parishes, mostly in Ontario near Toronto.
The history of the Catholic Church in modern Ukraine goes back to the 10th century when Christianity in Ruthenia was established as a state religion in 988. The Ruthenian Church was brought to Kyiv by the Byzantine Greeks and ended up among Eastern Orthodox Churches. In 1595, the Union of Brest officially united the Ruthenian Church with the Catholic Church. Following the partitions of Poland, the Ruthenian Church was liquidated in the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia.
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Catholicism is largely absent in eastern Ukraine
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which is the largest Catholic Church in Ukraine, is strongest in the western part of the country, particularly in the Lviv, Ternopil, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. In the southwest, below the Carpathian mountains, the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church is the dominant Catholic Church. The Ruthenian Catholic Church is centered in an oblast that borders four of Ukraine's western neighbors, and it has a significant presence in Hungary, Slovakia, and the United States.
Catholicism has a long history in Ukraine, dating back to the 10th century when Christianity was established as a state religion in 988. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is rooted in the Christianization of Kievan Rus', an event that also gave rise to the Russian Orthodox Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Latin Church in Ukraine has been strongly associated with Poland, but since Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union, it has emphasized a Ukrainian identity.
While the population in eastern Ukraine is, on average, the least religious, there are still some Catholics present in the country's eastern regions. There are 16 eparchies or exarchates (equivalent to dioceses or vicariates) of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church throughout the country, including in Crimea, Luhansk, and Donetsk. However, overall, Catholicism is not widely practiced in eastern Ukraine.
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The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has roots in the 10th century
Ukraine has a long Christian tradition, with roots in the 10th century. In 988, Prince Volodymyr the Great established Christianity in its Byzantine-Slavic rite as the national religion of his country, Kyivan-Rus. This took place before the East-West Schism of 1054, which divided the Christian East from the West. The Kyivan Church inherited the traditions of the Byzantine East and was part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. However, it also remained in full communion with the Latin West and its patriarch, the Pope of Rome.
The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, also known as the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, has a long and complex history that is deeply intertwined with the religious and political developments in the region. The roots of this church can be traced back to the Christianization of Kievan Rus' in the 10th century. Byzantine missionaries, particularly Saints Cyril and Methodius, had a significant influence on the spread of Christianity in the region. Their work allowed for the worship in the Old Church Slavonic language, which played a crucial role in the development of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Following the East-West Schism, the Kyivan Church took sides and remained Orthodox. Over the centuries, the church underwent various name changes and was known by different names such as the Ruthenian Uniate Church, the Greek Catholic Church, and the Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Byzantine Rite. The papal statistical yearbook, Annuario Pontificio, began referring to the church as Ukrainian in 1912, and most documents from the Vatican officially changed the church's name in 1963.
The Union of Brest, signed in 1595 or 1596, played a pivotal role in the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. It united the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic believers, forming the Church and preserving the traditions of the Kyivan Church. However, this union also led to internal divisions, with some members insisting on remaining under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. Despite facing persecution and suppression throughout its history, including under Soviet rule, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church remains the largest Catholic Church in Ukraine and is strongest in the western part of the country.
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Frequently asked questions
9% of Ukrainians identify as Catholic, with 8% belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and 1% to the Latin Church.
As of 2016, there were 4,733 registered Catholic churches in Ukraine.
Catholicism is more common in the west of Ukraine, with 28% of the population in Western Ukraine identifying as Catholic. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is strongest in the western region of Galicia.
Yes, there are three Catholic Churches in Ukraine: two Byzantine rite Churches (the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church) and one Latin rite Church.
There are nearly 320,000 Catholics in the Mukachevo eparchy of the Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church, who are served by about 300 priests.
