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He was never a Catholic bishop, Fr. Alexis Toth was a priest who converted to Russian Orthodoxy after being mistreated by the Latin Catholic bishop and later canonized by the Orthodox.

He lived in my hometown, Minneapolis and the church he started his American ministry became St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral in northeast Minneapolis. It's in the same part of town as most of the Eastern Catholic parishes.

Centroamerica posted:

Byzantine tradition has always been the vernacular. The Ukrainian Church mostly used Ukrainian. That is why their Liturgy was not poisoned by Vatican 2. Again, thoroughly Catholic Liturgy used by the UGCC. The group attached to the SSPX wanted more Latinisms, which even includes special devotion to Sister Fautina and the Divine Chaplet. They seem closer to V2 then the official UGCC judging by their website. The UGCC is criticized by the Orthodox for not being ecuмenical and taking back their churches in a Saint Nicolas du Chardonnet fashion. They criticize Francis openly on their website for playing the fiddle with the Russian Orthodox. If I want Latin traditions, I go to the local SSPX/CMRI/ Resistance Church. When I go to a church of the Byzantine tradition, I don’t expect to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Hi Centroamerica,

The Ukrainian Catholic tradition has always been Old Church Slavonic, although Old Church Slavonic (or a variant of it)  was once the vernacular of ancient Bulgaria from whence came Sts. Cyril and Methodius. This Liturgical language was then spread by the disciples of St. Methodius from Moravia, eastward to present day Eastern Slovakia and Ukraine. With respect to Halych (the heartland of the UGCC) the  Ukrainian Church began using modern Ukrainian only after VII and mostly after    the influence of those that came  from the diaspora in 1990 -who were fully imbued with the spirit of VII.

I have no affiliation with the SSJK or Society of St. Josaphat although I do support some of their effort, at least in spirit. Their devotion to the false “divine Mercy” of Sister Faustina is certainly not one of them. Although, to be fair their devotion is not unlike that of some of their co-religionists in Western Ukraine including priests and laity in the mainstream (UGCC) church.

The “taking back of their Church” struggle (in Kolomyia) that you cite is not really a religious struggle between Catholics and “Orthodox”. At its base level it’s a political issue between Ukrainian nationalists and pro-Moscow Orthodox i.e. Ukrainian Orthodox Church Moscow Patriarchate. For example, it is UGCC policy to share Holy Communion (Eucharistic hospitality as they call it) with laity of the pro-nationalist schismatic groups. A blatant example of communicatio in sacris. For that matter, at least in the parishes I have attended here in North America, non-Catholics i.e. Orthodox are welcomed to partake of the Holy Eucharist in UGCC parishes. Certainly a scandal to faithful Catholics.