Bishop Mykola Bychok Becomes Youngest Cardinal at 44

Bangalore, October 8, 2024 (CCBI): On October 6, 2024, Pope Francis announced his intention to elevate 44-year-old Bishop Mykola Bychok to the rank of cardinal on December 8, 2024. This appointment will make Bishop Bychok the youngest member of the College of Cardinals.

Bishop Bychok currently serves as the eparchial bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Melbourne, Australia, and is a member of the redemptorist congregation (CSsR).

Interestingly, while Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the 55-year-old head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, is not a cardinal, Pope Francis has chosen Bishop Bychok for the cardinalate.

Bishop Bychok was born in Ternopil, western Ukraine, in 1980. His religious formation took place in Ukraine and Poland, where he earned a licentiate in pastoral theology. He made his religious vows on August 17, 2003, and was ordained a priest in the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv on May 3, 2005.

On January 15, 2020, Pope Francis appointed him as the bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul in Melbourne, with jurisdiction over Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.

With this new consistory, where 21 new cardinals will be created, Pope Francis will have appointed 142 cardinals, of whom 111 will be eligible to vote in a future papal conclave.

By Dr. Stephen Alathara