On January 24, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations visited St. Sophia Cathedral in Rome as part of their visit to the Apostolic See. The head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, received the guests in his Patriarchal Procathedral and introduced them to the Apostolic Exarch, His Grace Bishop Dionysius Liakhovych.
According to the Information Resource of the UGCC, the visit of representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to Rome, the central event of which will be a meeting with Pope Francis, continues from January 24 to 26. The last time such a meeting took place was in 2001 with Pope John Paul II.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav stressed that "During the war, the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches, which unites all Christians, Jews, and Muslims of Ukraine, turned into a powerful voice of civil society," so for representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations, a visit to the Vatican is an opportunity “to convey to His Holiness Father Francis the voice of the Ukrainian people”.
Representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations will meet with the Holy Father, with the head of Vatican diplomacy, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, as well as with Cardinal Kurt Koch, who heads the Dicastery on Christian unity and interreligious dialogue.
"This trip will have historical significance. We hope that the voice of various churches and religious organizations will be heard and bring good concrete fruits for our sick people," the head of the UGCC stressed.