This is a list of leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (formerly known as the Ruthenian Uniate Church or the Uniate Church) which is a sui juris (particular church) of the Catholic Church that is in full communion with the Holy See. As an Eastern Catholic church, it uses the Byzantine rite in the Church slavonic and Ukrainian languages in its liturgies. Leaders have held several titles over the centuries. The modern primate of the church holds the position of a major archeparch (also styled as "major archbishop").
Due to historical circumstances (i.e. Russian occupation), the first hierarchs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church held titles that did not mention the original metropolitan city of Kyiv. It is common for people to refer to the major archbishop as a "Primate". However, only Mykhailo Levitsky officially held that title which was granted by the Austrian Emperor as the Primate of Halychyna and Lodomeria, but not approved by the Pope.
Metropolitans in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
This is a list of metropolitans in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Union of Florence
Metropolitans of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus'
Isidore (1436–1458) Gregory the Bulgarian (1458–1473) Misail Pstruch (1476–1480) Following the fall of Constantinople, the Union of Florence fell into abeyance.
Union of Brest
Metropolitans of Kiev, Galicia and all Rus' of the Union of Brest: Mykhailo (1596–1599) Ipatii (1600–1613) Josyf (1613–1637) Rafajil (1637–1640) Antin (1641–1655) Havryil (1666–1674) Kyprian (1674–1693) Lev (1694–1708) Yurij (1708–1713) Lev II (1714–1729) Athanasius (1729–1746) Florian (1748–1762) Felicjan (1762–1778) Leo III (1778–1779) Jason (1780–1786) Theodosius (1787–1805)
Partitions of Poland
Upon the partitions of Poland, the church consisted of three territories: within the Russian Empire; within the Kingdom of Prussia; within the Austrian Empire.
Territory within the Russian Empire
Archeparchy of Polotsk, Metropolitan of all Byzantine Catholics in Russia
Heraklius Lisovskyj (1783 - death 30 August 1809) Jan Krasovskyj (22 September 1809 - 1826) Jakub Martusevych (1826 - death 26 January 1833) Josaphat Bulhak (14 April 1833 - death 9 March 1838); Eparchy of Volodymyr–Brest Symeon Młocki, O.S.B.M. (1779.09.19 – 1795) Josafat Bułhak, O.S.B.M. (1798.10.12 – 1818.09.22), Eparchy of Lutsk–Ostroh Michał Mateusz Konstanty Stadnicki (1787.01.05 – 1795) Stefan Lewiński (1797.06.26 – death 1806.01.23) Hryhorij Koxanovyc (Grzegorz Kochanowicz) (1807 – 1814) Jakub Martusiewicz (1817 – 1826),
Archeparchy of Smolensk
Josyf Lepkovskyj (1771.03.14 – death 1778)
Eparchy of Lithuania
In 1807 the Russian Empire appointed its own primates for the Ruthenian Uniate Church without the permission of the Pope. Irakliy (1808–1809) Hryhoriy (1809–1814) Josafat (1818–1838) Following the Synod of Polatsk (1838), the Ruthenian Uniate Church was forcibly abolished on the territory of the Russian Empire. Its property and clergy were transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church. The only exception to this was the Eparchy of Chełm which lasted until May 1875 before its faithful were forcibly converted and its property seized by the Russian Orthodox Church.
Territory within the Kingdom of Prussia
Eparchy of Supraśl
It had only three incumbents : Theodosius Wislocki, Basilian Order of Saint Josaphat (O.S.B.M.) (1797 – death 1801.05.18) Nicholas Duchnowski (1803.05.16 – death 1805.06.25) Bishop-elect Father Leo Jaworowski (1807 – 1809 not possessed lacking confirmation by Rome), next Auxiliary bishop of Eparch Jozafat Bułhak in Brest and titular bishop of Volodymyr.