Pope Francis has appointed Priest Uladzimir Gulyai as bishop coadjutor of the Grodna diocese. This decision was published in the Vatican on April 5, 2024. The 48-year-old priest has been serving as rector of the parish of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Lida (Farah) since 2003, and now he will become an auxiliary bishop of the most widespread diocese in the country.
The position of bishop coadjutor is unusual and rare not only for Belarus, but in the whole world. Such a hierarch is appointed to assist the head of the diocese (the ordinariate), however, unlike the vicar bishop, he has the right to replace the ordinariate during his absence. Also, the coadjutor immediately automatically becomes the head of the diocese in the event of the resignation or death of the ordinariate.
In fact, this means that Priest Uladzimir Gulyai will serve in the Grodna diocese as an auxiliary bishop and will immediately head the diocese after the resignation of the current ordinary Bishop Alaeksandr Kashkevich, who will turn 75 in September.
There is an order from the Holy See, which invites bishops to submit their resignation upon reaching the age of 75, as was the case with Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. The final decision is made by the Pope.
Priest Uladzimir Gulyai is “his own” for local believers – he was born in the Grodna region in Valkavysk. Now the priest is waiting for the solemn episcopal ordination and assumption of office.
Interestingly, in his youth, Priest Uladzimir Gulyai was a guitarist and vocalist – it was he who created the Catholic musical group AVE, the current collective of the Grodna Seminary.