Head of the UGCC Meets with French President Macron in Paris
On the first day of his official visit to France, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron. The meeting took place on October 28 at the Élysée Palace and lasted more than 45 minutes. During the conversation, the Head of the UGCC expressed “gratitude for the support of Ukraine,” while the President of France assured him of “full backing for Ukraine in the future.”
“I have arrived here as a witness of hope from Ukraine. Ukraine is wounded but not defeated. On behalf of ordinary Ukrainians, I wish to thank you for your steadfast and tangible support since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. You were the first to support our President’s peace formula. We saw you doing everything possible to prevent this terrible war. You have stood with us through the past three years of our struggle for a European future. We are grateful for your full support of the victory plan recently proposed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav stated at the beginning of the conversation.
The Head of the UGCC highlighted France’s role in the rehabilitation of children who were abducted by Russia and later returned to Ukraine. With France’s support, two rehabilitation centers will open in Ukraine for children who have been repatriated after being taken to Russia. In this context, the parties discussed the progress of Cardinal Zuppi’s mission and the challenges encountered in this process. “Children are the most vulnerable members of society, and it is the Church’s duty to care for them,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized, addressing the issue of schooling during wartime. The parties also explored the potential for cooperation between the UGCC and the French government in humanitarian efforts.
His Beatitude thanked the French President for the warm welcome extended to Ukrainian refugees and emphasized the importance of Church and government collaboration in helping Ukrainians integrate into French society. He noted that most refugees are women and children: “These young mothers have university degrees and held prestigious jobs in Ukraine, so the best part of our nation has come to you.” According to the Head of the UGCC, proper legalization is a prerequisite for their successful integration into French society.
President Macron asked the Head of the UGCC about the source of the Ukrainian people’s resilience and their faith in victory. “It is the conviction that there are values worth dying for,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav replied, sharing his pastoral experiences of communicating with wounded Ukrainian soldiers.
The Head of the UGCC drew attention to the upcoming winter in Ukraine and the need to rally the international community “so that no one in Ukraine dies of hunger or cold.” “As a Church, we are already preparing our facilities to provide not only warmth but also spiritual support,” he added.
In conclusion, Emmanuel Macron promised that “the French government will do everything to ensure that Ukraine can engage in diplomatic negotiations to restore its territorial integrity and sovereignty from a position of strength.” The French President emphasized that, in the evolving international landscape, Europe must become more autonomous in its support for Ukraine. “We intend to be reliable partners for Ukraine and support you until complete victory is achieved; otherwise, Europe will face an existential crisis from which it would be difficult to recover. Ukraine is bravely resisting, and we will support you and rally European partners to stand with the Ukrainian people.”
At the end of the meeting, the Head of the UGCC presented President Macron with a souvenir piece of a Russian drone shot down over the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv, along with The Letter of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC on War and Just Peace in the Context of New Ideologies.
The official visit of the Head of the UGCC to France will continue until November 5 and is taking place at the invitation of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF) to strengthen support for Ukraine. The program includes a speech by His Beatitude Sviatoslav at an academic conference organized by the Bernardine College, the Paris Catholic Institute, and the Paris Faculty of Loyola University. A series of meetings within the Conference of Bishops of France is scheduled, culminating in His Beatitude’s address on November 5 at the opening of the autumn plenary assembly in Lourdes. Following his address, he will preside over the Divine Liturgy for approximately 120 French bishops.
On the first day of his visit, His Beatitude also met with Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome
