The Catechism In A Year (Starting April 2023): An Eastern Catholic Series

Welcome to the Ukrainian Fire Chaplain Show’s study series: “The (Ukrainian Catholic) Catechism In (less than) A Year”! This daily study series is an educational project for the UGCC Catechetical Commission with the support and blessing of Most Rev. Bohdan Danylo and Most Rev. David Motiuk. It is scheduled to air daily after Easter of 2023. It will be available on YouTube and on over a dozen podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. In about 10 minutes a day over 33 weeks, Christopher will read passages from "Christ Our Pascha", the catechism of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC)—the largest of all the Eastern Catholic Churches. During each daily episode, Christopher will explain the teaching of the catechism according to our reading plan and he will share some practical insights and inspiration. Our Ukrainian catechism offers answers to the most profound questions about the meaning and purpose of life. It also offers wisdom and perspective on the Catholic Faith, Sacraments, and Morals from a uniquely Eastern Catholic understanding and experience of Christianity. In his introductory letter to Christ Our Pascha, the Head and Father of our Ukrainian Church—Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk—wrote that, “In 1992, the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was published, and a Ukrainian translation appeared in 2002. One of the goals of the 'Catechism of the Catholic Church' was to serve as an authentic and proper guide for the compilation of future local catechisms. [St John Paul II noted that] ‘[the universal] catechism is not meant as a substitute for the various local catechisms. … Rather it is meant to encourage the creation of new and local catechisms that are better equipped to take into account the unique nuances of particular cultures, while at the same time remaining diligently faithful to the unity of faith and Catholic teaching.’ The particularity of the UGCC theological tradition, which is Eastern Christian in origin, defines the need of a separate catechism for our Church. [St] John Paul II, Pope of Rome, drew attention to this theological particularity: ‘In the study of revelation, East and West have followed different methods … these various theological formulations are often to be considered mutually complementary rather than conflicting.’ His Beatitude Lubomyr expressed this same thought: ‘Christ’s teaching is one and the same for everyone. Faith in Christ is also the same for all Catholics, regardless of which Rite or Particular Church they belong to. However, the theological understanding of divinely revealed Truths can be different in various cultures, just as liturgical Rites are different.'" The study plan we will be following adopts the layout of "Christ Our Pascha", which was written in three principal parts: (1-GREEN) The Faith of the Church, (2-BLUE) The Prayer of the Church, and (3-YELLOW) The Life of the Church. Additionally, there are two other short segments of the series: (A-ORANGE) an introduction with the study of the Anaphora of St Basil and (B-GREY) a summary section with key beliefs and specific Byzantine prayers. We look forward to journeying with you through our catechism! You can find links to obtain the FREE PDF copy of "Christ Our Pascha" catechism and our 33-Week outline of daily readings used for our study series at: https://www.ChristInAYear.com ----- Christopher is a lay theologian in the UGCC and he holds three graduate degrees, including one from Byzantine Catholic Seminary. He also has a background in public safety, public safety instruction, and has served as a lay chaplain in a busy ER during COVID-19. *CONTENT ADVISORY: Some portions of this series (such as treatment of the 6th and 9th Commandments, among others) may contain content and adult discussions unsuitable for children and young listeners***