Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Cardinal-designate Mykola Bychok, eparch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia and Oceania, expressed surprise at his recent appointment, learning about it from online news on October 6. He described the event as a mystery, stating, "God works in mysterious ways, and the pope works in mysterious ways, under God!" Bychok acknowledged the challenges ahead: "To fulfill this will of God will be a huge challenge for me, and a really difficult cross."

Bychok is set to become the youngest cardinal in the Catholic Church and only the eighth cardinal from both the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Australia. His journey began with an appointment to Melbourne's Eparchy of Sts. Peter and Paul in 2020 but was delayed by COVID-19 restrictions. Before his time in Australia, Bychok served in Siberia's Prokopyevsk city, ministering to Ukrainian Greek Catholics.

Upon arriving in Australia in 2021, he actively visited communities across Perth and Darwin. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney congratulated him from Rome during the Synod on Synodality. Fisher said, "It is my sincere wish that this appointment brings both great joy and hope for the people of Ukraine."

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church also extended congratulations alongside other church leaders and Bychok's mother. Reflecting on his new role, Bychok remarked on its global significance: "To be a cardinal is a huge responsibility...worldwide."

While attending a ceremony honoring Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in Sydney, Bychok paid respects at Cardinal George Pell's tomb. He praised Pell's faithfulness despite trials: "He proclaimed the Word of God until the end — he was a true apostle of Christian values."

Bychok intends to follow past cardinals' examples like Myroslav Lubachivsky and Josyf Slipyj. Of Slipyj he noted: "(he) became the voice of our church...emphasized persecution...and called for more radical actions." After December 8's consistory where Pope Francis will create 21 new cardinals, Bychok will be Australia's sole cardinal.

Bychok views his appointment as significant for Australia's Ukrainian church community amid ongoing conflict: "How will the war end? Only God knows." He believes it offers renewed support for Christian values amidst secularization trends.