Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Meet with Italian Government to Discuss Participation in Ukraine’s Recovery
On July 9, a meeting was held between bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and representatives of the Italian government. The UGCC hierarchs expressed their gratitude for Italy’s support of Ukraine and discussed cooperation in various areas of the country’s recovery.
The Italian delegation was led by Alfredo Mantovano, Deputy Secretary of State to the President of the Council of Ministers and Secretary of the Council of Ministers, responsible for national security. The meeting was also attended by Gennaro Sangiuliano, Minister of Culture; Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security; Orazio Schillaci, Minister of Health; Italian Ambassador to the Holy See Francesco Di Nitto; Tiziano Onesti, President of the Vatican Children’s Hospital “Bambino Gesù”; and other experts involved in the national program for Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Addressing the UGCC bishops, Alfredo Mantovano emphasized the Church’s vital role in Ukraine’s spiritual life over the past 40 months of war. “In recent years, you have shown the world that you are a living Church—a well-organized institution capable of responding to your people’s hardships.”
Representing the UGCC delegation, His Beatitude Sviatoslav highlighted the global scope of the UGCC’s ministry, especially in the regions hardest hit by the war. He explained that the Church’s current pastoral and social mission is rooted in a program of healing the wounds of war and has actively contributed to Ukraine’s reconstruction since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, Exarch of the Donetsk Exarchate, and Bishop Mykhaylo Bubniy, Exarch of the Odessa Exarchate, described the situation in their regions and outlined the most pressing recovery needs. Bishop Maksym stressed the importance of investment in education and psychological support for the population.
The ministers confirmed Italy’s willingness to cooperate with the UGCC in areas such as culture, education, and healthcare, and shared information about joint Italy-Ukraine projects already underway at various levels.
This meeting with the UGCC bishops marked the beginning of a series of events as part of the International Governmental Ukraine Recovery Conference, taking place in Rome on July 10–11, with the participation of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At the end of the meeting, a proposal was made to establish a working group on Ukraine’s recovery, involving cultural and educational institutions, architects, engineers, business representatives, and others.
