The Head of the UGCC congratulated the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine on his 50th birthday, stating, “Your ministry is characterized by great love for our people”
On May 14, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, celebrates his 50th birthday. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, personally congratulated him on this occasion.
The Head of the UGCC thanked Archbishop Kulbokas for his ministry in Ukraine, which began two years ago and is “marked by great love for our people.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav added, “We cannot help but mention that from the first days of your ministry in Kyiv, you have been delivering your addresses in the beautiful Ukrainian language.’’
“In a congratulatory letter on behalf of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, the Patriarch noted that the Apostolic Nuncio celebrates his 50th birthday during the great war brought to the Ukrainian land by the Russian aggressor. Despite this, he is overcoming the difficult trials of these two challenging years ‘as a faithful disciple of Christ, bringing the light of hope for victory to the grieving people.’
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that since the beginning of the war, the Nuncio has not left Ukraine, which “on the one hand, is a sign from the Holy See of unity with our long-suffering people, and on the other hand, it is evidence of your sensitive attitude to the circumstances we are experiencing.” He then recalled their joint stay in the Nunciature during the first days of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. “With gratitude, we remember our time together in the Nunciature during those initial days of the war, when the capital was surrounded by Russian troops on all sides, and we thanked the Lord that we were alive to see the morning sun,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
In addition, the Patriarch thanked Archbishop Kulbokas for being the diplomatic representative of the Holy Father and for continuously conveying the truth about Ukrainian resistance to the world community. “For this, you have the sincere gratitude of all Ukrainians, and especially of the faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. May the Lord continue to strengthen you in this noble ministry, which is now no less important to us than the sound of the defense guns of our Armed Forces,” said the Head of the UGCC.
“May the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints of the Ukrainian land intercede for you in all matters for the glory of our Savior Jesus Christ,” wished His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the jubilarian. “We hope that the most anticipated gift from heaven will be the news of the end of this war. May the Lord God fill your heart with joy and grant you good health for many years to come!”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav presented the nuncio with his new book “Ukraine Stands! Ukraine Fights! Ukraine Prays!”, featuring his daily video messages in the first year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The UGCC Department for Information
