“Thank you for your support, staunch position and necessary assistance to Ukrainians,” Head of the UGCC to Cardinal Marx
On May 22, the hierarchs of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC met with Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the Archbishop of Munich and Freising. The meeting expressed gratitude to the Catholic Church in Germany for supporting Ukraine and facilitated mutual listening.
During the meeting, the UGCC hierarchs discussed the war in Ukraine and its impact on the Church’s pastoral activities. They also addressed the challenges faced by the Catholic Church in Germany and the current socio-political situation in the European Union and its future.
Introducing the members of the Synod to the Archbishop of Munich, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the tradition of holding the Permanent Synod in different eparchies of the UGCC was initiated by His Beatitude Lubomyr Cardinal Husar.
Cardinal Marx positively assessed the UGCC’s The Letter of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in Ukraine on War and Just Peace in the Context of New Ideologies, noting that it is “a very good text.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that the Ukrainian bishops wrote it “not as observers, but from the standpoint of victims of war who are experiencing direct aggression.” It presents the true causes of the Russian-Ukrainian war and argues for the right to armed defense of the Ukrainian people and state.
The Head of the UGCC thanked the Archbishop of Munich and Freising for welcoming Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh to the bishops’ community of the region three years ago, demonstrating friendship and openness with his associates. “Observing the German Bishops’ Conference, we see that you are one of those bishops who truly understands what the Eastern Catholic Church is,” said the Primate.
Separately, the bishops of the Permanent Synod thanked Cardinal Marx for his support of Ukraine and his strong condemnation of the full-scale Russian invasion. “You have become a powerful and authoritative voice for our people, whom the aggressor condemned to death, and proved to be a true leader in this difficult time,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
Cardinal Marx addressed the topic of finding ways to peace in the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the UGCC bishops emphasized the need to establish a diplomatic solution based on the principles of international law. They also highlighted the importance of the Global Peace Summit, which will be held in Switzerland on June 14–15, 2024, at Ukraine’s initiative. The German cardinal expressed his strong support for Ukrainians both during the war and after it ends.
“Thank you for your support, staunch position, and all the necessary assistance you provide to Ukrainians,” the Head of the UGCC thanked. Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh added that not only people in Ukraine but also many Ukrainian refugees who remain in Germany will need the help of the local Catholic Church in the future. Cardinal Marx assured them of his readiness to support them.
Regarding the challenges of the Catholic Church in Germany, the Archbishop of Munich pointed to sexual abuse and secularization, sharing the experience of the Church’s response to them.
In conclusion, the UGCC bishops presented the Cardinal with an icon of Jesus Christ made from an ammunition box, which is a symbol of the Church’s transformational ministry during the war, and a book in German about Blessed Peter Vergun.
The UGCC Department for Information
