During his visit to Canberra earlier this week, Bishop Mykola Cardinal Bychok met with representatives of the diplomatic corps of Latin American countries in Australia. The meeting took place in a warm and friendly atmosphere, providing an opportunity for closer acquaintance and conversation.
This was reported by the Melbourne Eparchy.
The meeting was initiated and organized by Diego Felipe Cadena Montenegro, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Colombia to Australia.
Throughout the meeting, participants had the opportunity to exchange reflections on the spiritual and cultural traditions of their peoples, sharing the distinctive ways of preparing for Christmas and celebrating customs in Latin American countries. They also discussed pastoral service and the challenges faced by communities in the diaspora.
Bishop Mykola described the situation in Ukraine to those present, reminding them that although full-scale war has been ongoing since 2022, the war began much earlier in 2014 when Russia occupied the Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions.
He urged representatives of the diplomatic corps to support Ukraine's interests in Latin American countries and emphasized the significance of such meetings, which foster better understanding between nations and strengthen partnerships.