«The Ukrainian people already consider it the Pope of peace. Last Sunday we listened to his words on how the pain of the Ukrainian people is in his heart. His appeal for authentic, right and lasting peace is particularly current at this time, While his attention to the prisoners of war and deported children, he shows his paternal concern to the primary victims of the war in Ukraine ». These are the words expressed to Pope Leo XIV by his bliss Affiatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, in the suio meeting with the pontiff who took place on May 15 in the library of the Apostolic Palace.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church shared with the Holy Father How much his appeals to end the war are extremely important for the Ukrainian people. “They are a true spiritual conditioner for the wounded soul of the Ukrainian people, who keep our people in mind in the memory of the international community and give us back a name, who try to take us away, denying our right to existence”. Telling the pastoral ministry of the Greek-Catholic Church Ukrainian in war, his bliss Sviatoslav underlined how “our fundamental task is to be next to our people and announce the Gospel of hope”.
Schevchuk invited the Pope to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine. «When the Holy Pope John Paul II came to visit us, the Ukrainians believed that communism would never return to our land again. Today we believe that the Pope’s visit will be able to help stop the war in Ukraine ». “It is clear that the times and the opportunity will decide the Lord, however I consider my duty to transmit the invitation of millions of Ukrainians, who are waiting for it”.
«I am with the Ukrainian people. The Holy See continues and will continue to support any initiative and create the necessary conditions for dialogue and will accompany the Ukrainian people in this terrible time of history “said Pope Leo XIV. Shevchuk has coconsense to the Pope the list of prisoners of war and told him about the collaboration with Pope Francis for their liberation, asking him to continue this work: «Every time I visit our parishes and heparies in different regions of Ukraine, I meet the families of the prisoners of war and the missing, who deliver the names of their loved ones to me, asking me to bring them personally to the Pope “. And he added: “We have testimonies according to which, when the Russian part receives these lists from the Vatican, the treatment towards these prisoners improves”.
THEThe primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church has given the Pope a symbolic picture that represents the pain of the Ukrainian people. The author of the picture is the artist Bohdan Pylypiv, father of the Ukrainian soldier who fell Andriy. «The picture is titled” Requiem “. The embryo wrapped in the spring of a clock represents the children never born because of the war. The clock mechanism marks infinite moments of loss, rivers of blood that take away what is most precious – human life. The shape of a Roman gladio – is a symbol of war time, a dark time that looms on Ukraine and the world “, explained Schevchuk. On June 28, Ukrainian pilgrims will be in Rome on the occasion of the Jubilee of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church. The pilgrimage will be accompanied by the bishops of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church from all over the world.
(Photos of the meeting taken from the website of the Ukrainian Greek-Cattle Church)
