During a meeting at the Vatican with newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Patriarch Sviatoslav, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), extended an invitation for the pontiff to visit Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, the UGCC press service reported the details of the meeting.
“During one of the first private audiences of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV received His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the UGCC head. The meeting took place in the library of the Apostolic Palace,” the statement reads.
Patriarch Sviatoslav congratulated Pope Leo XIV on his election and expressed gratitude for his initial statements and gestures of support toward Ukraine.
“The Ukrainian people already characterize you as the Pope of peace. Last Sunday, we heard your words that the pain of the Ukrainian people is in your heart. Your call for a genuine, just, and lasting peace is particularly significant at this moment, and your concern for the captured and deported children demonstrates your special fatherly care for the war’s first victims in Ukraine,” he stated.
The UGCC head told Pope Leo XIV that his calls for an end to the war are extremely important for the Ukrainian people.
“They are a real spiritual balm for the wounded soul of the Ukrainian people, they keep us in the memory of the international community and give us a name that they want to deprive us of and deny our right to exist,” Sviatoslav said.
The UGCC head invited Pope Leo XIV to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine.
During the meeting, Pope Leo XIV expressed his solidarity with the Ukrainian people, stating, “I am with the Ukrainian people. The Holy See will continue to facilitate and create all necessary conditions for dialogue, accompanying them through this painful chapter of history.”
The UGCC head also provided Pope Leo XIV with lists of Ukrainians currently held in Russian captivity. He spoke about the cooperation with Pope Francis in securing the release of prisoners from various categories and urged the continuation of these efforts.
At the conclusion of the audience, Patriarch Sviatoslav presented Pope Leo XIV with a symbolic painting reflecting the suffering of the Ukrainian people. The artwork was created by artist Bohdan Pylypiv, father of fallen Ukrainian soldier Andriy.
As reported by Ukrinform, Pope Leo XIV reaffirmed the Holy See’s readiness to mediate between “enemies” to bring an end to conflicts worldwide
Photo credit: UGCC
