Apostolic Nuncio: Without the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kyiv, the Catholic Church Would Have Lost a Lot
“It is a marvelous gift from God that the seat of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is here in Kyiv, and that the Kyiv Metropolia and Archeparchy are present in the capital. Without them, I would lose something very important. And the entire Catholic Church, without the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, would lose a lot.”
With these words, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, addressed the faithful during the Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, marking the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Kyiv Metropolia and the 20th anniversary of the transfer of the UGCC’s seat to Kyiv.
The Pope’s representative noted that His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s reflections on the relics of St. Volodymyr and the baptism of his people — especially in the light of the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical (Nicene) Council — highlight the unity of the whole Church of Christ. He recalled that Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, has emphasized this unity many times this year.
“Even in Rome, Cardinal Koch has said repeatedly that he does not believe Catholics and our Orthodox brothers have fallen into schism. He insists that division is only a matter of human perception, while in reality, the Church has not been divided. Today, we must bear witness to the unity of Christ’s Church,” Archbishop Kulbokas stressed.
The Nuncio also drew a parallel between today’s geopolitical struggles and the mission of the Church in the world.
“In recent days, we saw the meeting of powerful world leaders, Trump and Putin, in Alaska. Matters of our world are decided by those with weapons, money, and human power. But where is justice? There is none — and there will be none — unless people are united with God through faith and openness to Him,” he said.
According to the Archbishop, the Church alone can bear witness to truth and justice: “Because only the Lord speaks of it. The powerful of this world never will. That is why faith and prayer are our strongest arms.”
The UGCC Department for Information
