On June 27, a Prayer Breakfast took place in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland. The event was attended by representatives from Polish politics, various churches, and religious organizations. Additionally, a delegation from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations was present, led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
This was reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) highlighted the significance of this event, marking the first occasion that the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) met with the Polish Ecumenical Council and was invited to the Polish Sejm.
“Today, we participate in an unprecedented historical meeting,” stated the head of the UGCC. “We respect our authorities and politicians, but we are not part of the state apparatus. We represent civil society. As voices for Orthodox Christians, Catholics of both rites, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims, we embody 75% of Ukrainian society.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also emphasized the openness of Ukrainian churches to dialogue, even with Russian religious organizations, despite their silence. "Over the past four years, we have sent dozens of letters to similar institutions in Russia. Even the day before the full-scale invasion, we appealed to President Putin, but we did not receive a single response. We believe there is simply no religious freedom in Russia,” he remarked, adding, “We are ready to communicate, ready to talk, and ready to be the voice of our people — even to the northern aggressor who is currently destroying us."
In connection with the pilgrimage of UGCC faithful to Rome, starting June 28, His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed the hope that the Ukrainian people hold dear: “We want to return to Ukraine as witnesses of hope. We want to convey to the world: Ukraine has hope, and the fate of Poland, Europe, and the world depends on Ukraine's hope.”
The head of the UGCC paid special tribute to Saint Pope John Paul II, who, exactly 24 years ago on June 27, 2001, beatified 28 new martyrs of communism in Lviv during his first visit to Ukraine.
“Today, we remember Father Omelian Kovch, a martyr of the communist regime. We believe that Saint Pope John Paul II is key to understanding contemporary and future Ukrainian-Polish relations,” he stated.
His Beatitude identified three main aspects of Pope John Paul II's spiritual legacy: reconciliation, solidarity, and a united Europe. “Together with the Polish episcopate, we proclaimed Pope John Paul II the patron of Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation,” he said, recalling the prophetic words of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, who addressed the Holy Father on behalf of the UGCC 24 years ago, saying, “So that the terrible past does not poison our lives, we willingly forgive those who have wronged us.”
The head of the UGCC also underscored that Russia is not only waging war with missiles and tanks but is also systematically attempting to erode the spiritual foundations of Europe established by Saint Pope John Paul II. “When someone tries to incite conflict between Poles and Ukrainians or to reopen old wounds, this reflects Moscow's propaganda. We must heal the wounds of our people. So let us emphasize again, dear brothers: we forgive and seek forgiveness.”
In conclusion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav called for concrete actions to support those affected by the war. He reminded attendees that there are over 4 million internally displaced persons in Ukraine and that Churches are caring for millions of Ukrainians in Poland. “We are their shepherds. It pains us when anyone seeks to tarnish the image of Ukrainians in Poland,” he said.
The primate expressed his support for initiatives to exhume and properly bury the victims of the Ukrainian-Polish conflict: “Every person deserves a dignified Christian burial.”
His Beatitude expressed hope that the meeting in the Polish Sejm would mark the beginning of a new tradition of fraternal dialogue: “We will meet again, not only to converse but also to implement concrete actions.”