To Ensure Our People Do Not Become Alienated from Their Motherland: The Permanent Synod of the UGCC Meets with the Ambassador of Ukraine to Spain
On May 27, a meeting was held at the Embassy of Ukraine in Spain between the bishops of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and Ukraine’s Ambassador to Spain, Yulia Sokolovska. During the meeting, the parties discussed support for Ukrainians in Spain, the development of pastoral care, cultural diplomacy, and the preservation of Ukrainian identity abroad.
This was reported by the press office of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
Participating in the meeting were the bishops of the Permanent Synod of the UGCC: His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church; Bishop Borys Gudziak, Archbishop and Metropolitan of Philadelphia; Bishop Volodymyr Yushchak, Bishop of Wrocław-Koszalin; Bishop Josafat Moschych, Bishop of Chernivtsi; Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch for Ukrainians of the Byzantine Rite in Germany and Scandinavia; as well as Bishop Stepan Sus, Head of the Pastoral and Migration Department of the UGCC, and Bishop Andriy Khimyak, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
The Embassy of Ukraine was represented at the meeting by Yulia Sokolovska, Ambassador of Ukraine to Spain; Anatoliy Koval, First Secretary for Consular Affairs; Oksana Skrypets, First Secretary; and Valeriy Prykhodko, First Secretary.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that one of the Church’s principal tasks is to help Ukrainians maintain their connection with their motherland. He also spoke about the beginnings of pastoral care for Ukrainian migrants in Spain and highlighted the importance of cooperation between the Church and diplomatic institutions in supporting the Ukrainian community.
At the same time, he explained the purpose of the visit to the Embassy:
“In the program of our Permanent Synod, wherever we may be, we include visits to Ukrainian embassies. We meet to accord you, as we want to be partners with you, particularly in defending Ukraine’s interests and advocating for our cause before various organizations, communities, public authorities, and Churches.”
Yulia Sokolovska noted that since the beginning of the full-scale war, interest in Ukraine has grown significantly in Spain, and increasingly close ties are being established between the two countries.
Metropolitan Borys Gudziak emphasized the role of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in preserving Ukrainian identity throughout the world, noting that about a thousand Greek Catholic communities operate outside Ukraine. Bishops Volodymyr Yushchak, Bohdan Dzyurakh, and Stepan Sus also spoke about cooperation with Ukrainian diplomats, the importance of cultural diplomacy, and support for young Ukrainians living abroad.
Following the meeting, the participants viewed the newly installed monument to Lesia Ukrainka near the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid. It was created by Ukrainian sculptor Mykola Obezuk.
The UGCC Department for Information
