Mykola Bychok | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of theUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne | |
 Bychok in October 2024 | |
| Church | Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church |
| Appointed | 15 January 2020 |
| Predecessor | Peter Stasiuk, C.Ss.R. |
| Other post | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Sofia a Via Boccea (2024–) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 3 May 2005 by Ihor Vozniak |
| Consecration | 7 June 2020 by Sviatoslav Shevchuk |
| Created cardinal | 7 December 2024 byPope Francis |
| Rank | Cardinal-Priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mykola Petrovych Bychok (1980-02-13)13 February 1980 (age 45) |
| Motto | Пресвятая Богородице, спаси нас (Most Holy Mother of God, save us)[1] |
| Coat of arms | .svg) |
Mykola Bychok,C.Ss.R. (Ukrainian:Микола Бичок; born 13 February 1980) is aUkrainian Greek Catholic[a] prelate who has served asEparch of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, Australia since 2020.Pope Francis made him acardinal on 7 December 2024, making him the youngest member of theCollege of Cardinals and youngest elector in the2025 papal conclave. He is a member of theRedemptorists.
Bychok was born inTernopil in western Ukraine in 1980. He joined theCongregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, popularly known as the Redemptorists, in July 1997. His religious training took place in Ukraine and Poland, where he obtained a licentiate in pastoral theology. On 17 August 2003, Bychok took his religious vows, and on 3 May 2005 he was ordained a priest in theUkrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv.[3]
Following his ordination, Bychok spent time as a missionary at the Mother of Perpetual Help Church inProkopyevsk, Russia. He later served as the superior of Saint Joseph's Redemptorists Monastery and pastor of the Mother Parish of Perpetual Help inIvano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. From 2015 to 2020 Bychok served as the vicar of the Ukrainian Catholic parish of Saint John the Baptist inNewark, New Jersey, US, part of theArchieparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians.[3]
On 15 January 2020, he was appointed byPope Francis as the eparchial bishop of theUkrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne, succeedingPeter Stasiuk.[3] The eparchy's jurisdiction comprises Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.[4]
On 7 June 2020, the feast ofPentecost in theJulian calendar used by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the time, he was consecrated as bishop by Major ArchbishopSviatoslav Shevchuk and other hierarchs of theUkrainian Greek Catholic Church inSt. George's Cathedral, Lviv.[4][2]
On 6 October 2024,Pope Francis announced that he planned to make Bychok acardinal;[5][6] on 7 December 2024 he was made acardinal priest, ofSanta Sofia a Via Boccea.[7] In place of the redbiretta given to new cardinals of the Latin rite, Francis placed a blackkoukoulion with a red trim, the typical Ukrainian monastic headdress, on Bychok's head.[8] Bychok became the youngest member of theCollege of Cardinals,[9][b] the seventh cardinal from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,[c] and the third cardinal from theTernopil region.[10]
Acardinal elector at the2025 papal conclave, and Australia's sole representative, he lightly joked afterwards that being shut off from the world for an extended time was the highlight of his life: "Just try … try to turn off your phone at least for 24 hours – my phone was turned off for two and a half days" –and nothing like the filmConclave, which he said did not depict prayer.[11]
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of theOrder of Saint John[12]
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne 7 June 2020 – present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Cardinal Priest of Santa Sofia a Via Boccea 7 December 2024 – present | |
Ukrainian cardinals | |||
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| Province of Sydney |
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| Province of Melbourne |
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| Province of Brisbane |
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| Province of Perth |
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| Province of Adelaide |
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| Immediately subject to theHoly See | |||||
| Eastern Rite Eparchies | |||||
| Apostolic Nunciature to Australia | |||||
