His Grace, The Most Reverend Ihor Rantsya | |
|---|---|
| Eparchial Bishop ofEparchy of Saint Volodymyr the Great of Paris | |
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| Church | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Appointed | 1 October 2025 |
| Installed | 18 December 2025 |
| Predecessor | Hlib Lonchyna (apostolic administrator) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 29 March 2015 by Ihor Vozniak |
| Consecration | 18 December 2025 by Sviatoslav Shevchuk,Borys Gudziak,Hlib Lonchyna |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1978-03-08)8 March 1978 (age 47) |
| Nationality | Ukrainian |
| Alma mater | Ivan Franko National University of Lviv;Ukrainian Catholic University;Catholic Institute of Paris |
| Motto | Ukrainian:Під покровом Марії, у світлі Ісуса Under the protection of Mary, in the light of Jesus |
| Coat of arms |  |
Ihor Rantsya (Ukrainian:Ігор Ранця; born 8 March 1978) is aUkrainian Greek Catholic hierarch, currently serving as the Eparchial Bishop ofUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Volodymyr the Great of Paris, overseeing faithful inFrance,Belgium,Switzerland, theNetherlands andLuxembourg. He was appointed byPope Leo XIV on 1 October 2025 and consecrated on 18 December 2025.
Ihor Rantsya was born on 8 March 1978 inOpilsko, present-daySheptytskyi Raion,Lviv Oblast, then part of theUkrainian SSR. He completed his secondary education locally before enrolling at theIvan Franko National University of Lviv, where he earned both a master's degree and a doctorate ingeography and subsequently worked as a lecturer.[1][2]
In 2008, he entered the Lviv Theological Seminary and simultaneously studied theology at theUkrainian Catholic University, earning a master's degree in theology. From 2014 to 2015, he continued his studies at theCatholic Institute of Paris, obtaining a licentiate in ecumenical theology and completing doctoral research in theology.[3]
Rantsya was ordained a deacon on 19 June 2014, and a priest on 29 March 2015 byIhor Vozniak inParis for service in France, but with the incardination into theArcheparchy of Lviv.[1]
Following ordination, he served in pastoral ministry within theUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Volodymyr the Great of Paris. He was rector of All Saints Parish inVincennes (2016–2019), parish vicar, and later administrator of thecathedral parish in Paris. He coordinated the eparchial commission forecumenism and interreligious relations and served on the Pastoral Council of the Patriarchal Curia of theUkrainian Greek Catholic Church.[4]
On 21 March 2022, he was appointedprotosyncellus (vicar general) of the Paris eparchy.[2]
On 1 October 2025, theHoly See announced thatPope Leo XIV had appointed Rantsya as bishop of theUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Volodymyr the Great of Paris, filling the vacancy after the previous bishop,Borys Gudziak, was transferred andHlib Lonchyna served as apostolic administrator.[3]
He was consecrated as bishop on 18 December 2025 at theChurch of Saint‑Sulpice in Paris, with Major ArchbishopSviatoslav Shevchuk as principal consecrator, and ArchbishopBorys Gudziak and BishopHlib Lonchyna as co‑consecrators. On the same day, he was formally installed as eparch.[2][1]
As eparch, Rantsya has emphasized pastoral care for theUkrainian diaspora, promotion of ecumenical dialogue, youth engagement, and strengthening of eparchial educational programs. He has actively participated in European Catholic networks and met with French and Belgian church authorities to foster cooperation among Eastern Catholic communities.[4]
Authority control databases: Academics |
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