UGCC Head to “Church in Need” Delegation: Tell the Global South the Truth About the Genocidal Ideology of the Russian World
On May 31, 2024, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with representatives of the international charitable organization “Aid to the Church in Need” (Kirche in Not) at the Patriarchal House in Lviv.
During the meeting, which lasted more than two hours, the Aid to the Church in Need delegation, comprising representatives from Germany, England, France, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Bolivia, Chile, and Brazil, had the opportunity to hear first-hand about the challenges facing the Ukrainian people and the Church in Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared his thoughts on the dynamics of vocations to the priesthood and monasticism during the war, the educational process in seminaries, and also discussed the peculiarities of pastoral care for the grieving, healing the wounds of war, military chaplaincy, and the challenges of clergy mobilization.
The Head of the UGCC explained to the international delegation the importance of the Pope’s Easter Message for the exchange of prisoners “all for all” and the significance of his own call for the release of women, doctors, and clergy from captivity.
The sides separately discussed church-state relations in Ukraine, the church’s advocacy work before the world community, and social service in times of war.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized the importance of the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland (June 15–16), stressing the search for a “peace formula” to end the war. He also called on representatives of Aid to the Church in Need, particularly those from Latin America, to bring the truth about the genocidal ideology of the Russian world to the countries of the Global South.
Президент «Допомоги Церкві в потребі» Реґіна Лінч і Блаженніший Святослав
At the end of the meeting, the Head of the UGCC expressed his sincere gratitude to Aid to the Church in Need for its unwavering support of the UGCC. Representatives of the organization, for their part, assured of further assistance and dissemination of information about the war in Ukraine and the heroic ministry of the Church at the global level.
It is important to note that the Pontifical Foundation “Aid to the Church in Need” has been supporting the UGCC in Ukraine for over 30 years. Their assistance is focused on enhancing pastoral projects and initiatives at the parish, diocesan, and church-wide levels, as well as on helping monastic communities and seminaries.
This meeting was a testament to the strong ties between the UGCC and Aid to the Church in Need and emphasized the importance of the Church’s role in providing humanitarian, spiritual, and advocacy assistance to the Ukrainian people during the war.
The UGCC Department for Information
