New Melbourne cardinal says his appointment could be a message from Pope to Putin

The newest nomination to the rank of Catholic cardinal, Australia-based Mykola Bychok, says he was shocked to learn of his appointment but believes it may be a message of support for Ukraine from the Vatican.

Bychok, who holds the title “head of the Eparchy of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne for the Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania”, said he would never forget the moment he heard the news of his nomination as a cardinal – the highest-ranking appointment in the Catholic Church below the Pope.

Bishop Mykola Bychok, at the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in North Melbourne, has been named as one of 21 new cardinals in the Catholic Church. Credit: Eddie Jim

“[I] had my phone turned off during dinner. When I turned my phone back on, a flood of messages came through,” he said on Monday, from the Saints Peter and Paul Ukrainian Cathedral in North Melbourne.

“To be honest, at first, I thought that was a joke. It has taken some time for it all to begin sinking in. I am yet to know the particulars of the appointment.”

Bychok said he should learn more when visiting the Vatican in December, where 21 cardinal-designates will be appointed as members of the College of Cardinals – the body which elects the pontiff.

The new appointees range in age from 99 to the 44-year-old Bychok, making him the world’s youngest cardinal when confirmed in December.

He said it was normal for the Pope to choose a cardinal from a region where there were fewer appointees, such as Oceania, where there were only three – Tonga, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

But he said his Ukrainian identity might have also been a factor.

“It will be some special sign for Russia as well,” Bychok said as he stood beside a Ukrainian flag that was carried into battle in 2014 during the Russian invasion of Crimea and Donetsk.

“This flag is a relic of bravery and bears the blood and marks of my fellow Ukrainians tortured in defending their homeland.

Bishop Mykola Bychok initially thought news of his appointment as a cardinal was a joke.Credit: UGCC

“It is a symbol of hope for all who suffer persecution, loss, displacement and the pains of war. It is also a stark reminder that the marginalised can never be forgotten.”

He referenced comments from the Pope made on Sunday in a plea for peace in the region.

“He said, please stop killing innocent people because winter is approaching. I support this message because it will be a difficult winter for all the Ukrainians, especially during this third year of the war,” Bychok said.

He said his family was safe from the fighting, living near the western border with Poland, but past winters had been hard.

“They were without electricity, without hot water, without heating system,” he said.

Bychok emphasised his commitment to his Melbourne post.

“This appointment is not one that supersedes who I am now. I remain first and foremost the eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania,” he said.

“I love this country, this is home for me.”

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