Head of the UGCC thanked the Ambassador of Portugal for his assistance in organizing the participation of Ukrainians in World Youth Day
On Monday, June 19, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Portugal to Ukraine Antonio Vazquez Alves Machado at the residence of the Head of the UGCC at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
The Head of the UGCC told Mr. António about the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in particular, its history as part of the ancient Kyivan Metropolis, founded in 988 in the baptismal waters of the Dnipro River, the peculiarities of the liturgical rite, the origin of the name, and the geography of its presence in the world. His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the UGCC also has parishes in Portugal, and a Greek Catholic church is under construction in Fatima, which will be consecrated soon.
“Our bishops will conduct catecheses in Ukrainian and celebrate Divine Liturgies of the Byzantine rite. It will be a perfect opportunity for many young Ukrainians worldwide to meet,” he said.
The Ambassador of Portugal said that their country is actively preparing to host WYD participants, including Ukrainians. The Embassy in Ukraine facilitates the participation of pilgrims from Ukraine by cooperating with the UGCC Youth Commission. According to Mr. António, given the war, young Ukrainians need to communicate with others, especially their peers from other countries.
“It is also therapeutic,” added His Beatitude Sviatoslav and thanked Mr. Ambassador for his assistance in organizing the participation of Ukrainians in WYD: “We are truly grateful for your assistance and the cooperation of your embassy with our youth commission to help Ukrainian youth participate in such an important event.”
Among other topics discussed during the meeting, the Ambassador of Portugal inquired about the religious situation in Ukraine. The Head of the UGCC spoke about the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Churches and representatives of other religions in Ukraine, particularly in the context of the activities of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. In addition, he heightened the risk of the Ruskiy mir ideology propagated by the Russian Orthodox Church, which, in his opinion, the entire Christian world should dissociate itself from, as Muslims did with the Islamic State.
