Pope Leo XIV Receives Head of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Audience
During one of the first private audiences of his pontificate, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV received His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The meeting took place on May 15 in the library of the Apostolic Palace. The Holy Father expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people and assured them of his support. His Beatitude Sviatoslav invited the Pope to visit Ukraine.
At the outset of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election to the ministry as Universal Shepherd and thanked him for his first statements and gestures on behalf of Ukraine. “The Ukrainian people have already recognized you as the Pope of Peace. Last Sunday, we heard your words that the pain of the Ukrainian people is in your heart. Your call for true, just, and lasting peace is especially pertinent at this time, and your concern for the captive and deported children reflects your special paternal attention to the first victims of the war in Ukraine.”
The Head of the UGCC told the Holy Father that his calls for an end to the war are incredibly important for the Ukrainian people. “They are a real spiritual balm for the wounded soul of the Ukrainian people, they keep us in the memory of the international community and preserve a name which they want to erase and deny our right to exist.”
Speaking to Pope Leo XIV about the pastoral ministry of the UGCC in wartime, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that “our primary task is to be close to our people and preach the Gospel of hope. As priests, we have learned a new kind of ministry—the ministry of mourning. Sometimes we cannot find any words of consolation for a mother who has lost her child, but we can and must be close to her.”
The Head of the UGCC invited His Holiness to undertake an Apostolic Visit to Ukraine. “When Saint Pope John Paul II came to us, Ukrainians believed that communism would never return to our land. Today, we believe that the Pope’s visit will help stop the war in Ukraine.” “The time and opportunity will surely be in God’s hands, but I consider it my duty to convey to you the invitation of millions of Ukrainians who are waiting for you,” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
His Holiness Pope Leo XIV assured the Head of the UGCC: “I am with the Ukrainian people. The Holy See will continue to foster and provide all necessary conditions for dialogue and accompany the Ukrainian people in this terrible time of history.”
The Head of the UGCC handed Pope Leo XIV lists of Ukrainians held captive in Russia and those missing in combat. He then spoke about his cooperation with Pope Francis in securing the release of various categories of prisoners and asked for this cooperation to continue. “Every time I visit our parishes in different regions of Ukraine, I meet with families of prisoners of war and those missing in action, and they give me the names of their relatives with a request to personally hand them over to the Pope.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the Holy See is putting a lot of effort into this matter. “When the Russian side receives these lists from the Vatican, we have evidence that the treatment of these prisoners is even improving.”
At the end of the audience, the Head of the UGCC presented the Pope with a symbolic painting depicting the suffering of the Ukrainian people. The painting was created by artist Bohdan Pylypiv, father of the deceased Ukrainian soldier Andriy. His Beatitude Sviatoslav explained the symbolism of the painting to the Pope: “The painting is called ‘Prayer-Requiem’. The embryo in the clockspring symbolizes the unborn children lost in the war. The clock mechanism counts the endless moments of loss, the rivers of blood that claim the most precious thing—human lives. The clock hand in the form of a short sword of a Roman legionnaire is a sign of wartime, of the calamity that hangs over Ukraine and the world.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also invited Pope Leo XIV to meet with Ukrainian pilgrims who will arrive in Rome on June 28 for the Jubilee of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The Primate explained that this pilgrimage will be accompanied by bishops of the UGCC from around the world and “this event will be a unique opportunity to pray for peace in Ukraine at the tomb of the Supreme Apostle Peter.”
Secretariat of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome,
photos and videos: Vatican Media
