I am close to Ukrainian people, — Pope Francis to His Beatitude Sviatoslav
On Monday, November 7, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the Holy Father Francis in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The Head of the UGCC came to Rome for the first time since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine to “convey to the heart of the Christian world. the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people.”
During the conversation, Pope Francis expressed his closeness to the “long-suffering Ukrainian people” and assured them that he is with them in prayer and concrete actions. He appealed to the Head and clergy of the UGCC to “continue sacrificial service in the evangelical spirit to the neediest and victims of the war.”
The Holy Father also spoke about the diplomatic efforts of the Holy See to stop Russian aggression and achieve peace for the Ukrainian people. “Our daily concern is also to foster the solidarity of the whole world with Ukrainians,” the Pope noted.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that his visit to the Apostolic Capital “aims to convey to you, Holy Father, and your collaborators the pain and suffering of my people.”
“The war in Ukraine is distinctly colonial, and the peace proposals coming to us from Russia are nothing more than the pacification of the colony. These proposals deny the right to the existence of the Ukrainian people, their history, culture, and, in particular, the Church. They carry the rejection of the very right to the presence of the Ukrainian state, recognized by the international community with its sovereignty and territorial integrity, — the Head of the UGCC, told Pope Francis and emphasized: — Russian proposals for peace do not yet have any objectivity for dialogue.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav told the Holy Father about the service of the UGCC in wartime conditions and shared personal testimonies of what he saw during pastoral visits to parishes in the Center, East, and South of Ukraine — the territories most affected by Russian aggression.
“I told the Pope about the daily service of our bishops, priests, monks, and nuns in the temporarily occupied territories and emphasized that all our pastors stayed with their people, and the premises of our churches and monasteries became shelters and centers of humanitarian aid.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also presented to Pope Francis the UGCC Pastoral Plan until 2030, the main task of which is to help refugees and heal war wounds.
The Head of the UGCC thanked the Pope for his efforts to end the war in Ukraine, release prisoners and organize worldwide humanitarian aid for the Ukrainian people.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC atthe Holy See (Rome)
