His Beatitude Sviatoslav arrived at the Apostolic capital with a working visit
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head and Father of the UGCC arrived in Rome to meet with the Holy Father Francis and the heads of various dicasteries of the Roman Curia. His Beatitude Sviatoslav began his visit on Sunday, November 6, with a prayer in the cathedral church of the Apostolic Exarchate of the UGCC in Italy.
“Let us not be afraid and not get discouraged when someone today doesn’t understand us, doesn’t understand why Ukrainians do not give up but fight. One victorious European politician of the 20th century said, ‘You must win first, and then everyone will understand you,’” emphasized the Head of the UGCC during the Hierarchal Divine Liturgy in the Church of Santi Sergio e Bacco.
On November 7, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will meet with Pope Francis in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. It is the first visit of the Head of the UGCC to the Holy See since the beginning of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine. “I want to convey the pain of the Ukrainian people to the Holy Father and the Holy See and personally lay out the horrors of the war that the Ukrainian people are going through,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav commented on the purpose of his visit to Rome.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav will also participate in the International Assembly of Major Superiors of the Association of Consecrated Life of the UGCC, which will take place in Rome from November 9–12.
The visit program also includes a meeting with the ambassadors of various countries accredited to the Holy See.
Let us add that since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav has been recording video messages every day, which are translated into various languages and published in international media.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC at the Holy See (Rome)
