Mieczysław Mokrzycki (born 29 March 1961 in Majdan Lipowiecki) is a Polish-born Catholic prelate, currently serving as the archbishop of Lviv of the Latins in Ukraine.

Early life and ordination

Mokrzycki completed primary school in Łukawiec and Cieszanów, and then studied at the State Agricultural Technical School in Oleszyce. After graduating from high school, he studied theology at the Catholic University of Lublin. He was ordained a priest on September 17, 1987 by Marian Jaworski, who was diocesan archbishop of

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

at that time, based in Lubaczów. In 1991 Mokrzycki left for pastoral work in Ukraine. In 1996 he obtained a Doctorate of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, ''Angelicum''. His dissertation was entitled " (Priestly Formation in the Archdiocese of Lviv of the Latins in light of recent documents after Vatican II).".

Career

On 16 July 2007 he was appointed coadjutor archbishop of

, and consecrated on 29 September 2007 by

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

as principal consecrator and Cardinals Tarcisio Bertone and Marian Jaworski as co-consecrators. He was one of six bishops consecrated on that day, and the first consecrated by Pope Benedict after his election as Pope. On 21 October 2008 he became Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lviv of the Latins (

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

) after the resignation of Cardinal Jaworski. On 29 September 2007 Archbishop Mokrzycki was honoured by Lech Kaczyński, the president of Poland, with the Officer's Cross of the

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

, for outstanding services to the Polish Church, working for the Poles in Ukraine. He received the pallium from Pope Benedict in June 2009 at a traditional Mass marking the feast of the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Saints Peter and Paul.

Criticism

* According to Religion in Ukraine, on 27 September 2011, in an interview with Polonia Radio abp. Mokrzycki, the head of the Ukrainian Roman Catholics, stated that "the Greek Catholic Church has simply seized our churches." This provoked an extremely negative reaction from both the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic communities. However, he did not apologize or refute the statement.Хмільовський, Микола
Повторний казус архієпископа Мечислава Мокшицького
// ''Релігія в Україні'' (Risu.org.ua). — 24 травня 2013. * On 6 March 2013, Mokrzycki refused to sign a joint statement by the Catholic bishops of the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic rites of Ukraine on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Volyn tragedy, blaming the tragedy on Ukrainians. The archbishop noted that the formula "we apologize and ask for forgiveness" proposed by Ukrainian Greek Catholics is unacceptable. The Ukrainian side must "apologize and beg apologize" to the Poles, but not apologizing to the Poles.В'ятрович: Заява арх. Мокшицького про Волинську трагедію не пасує духовній особі
// ''Західна інформаційна корпорація'' (zik.ua). — 18 березня 2013.

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