The fifth Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church took place in Rome in 1971

The Synod approved documents regarding the patriarchal structure and the establishment of a Permanent Synod. These decisions formed the basis for the modern organization of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

During the opening, Cardinal Josyf Slipyj addressed the assembly regarding the difficult conditions facing the Church in Ukraine and among the diaspora. He noted that anti-religious government policies and propaganda threatened the survival of the faith and Ukrainian identity.