On October 21, a delegation from the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations visited the Norwegian Parliament (Storting). During a meeting with parliamentarians and Masoud Gharakhani, the President of the Parliament, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, extended his gratitude to Norway for its steadfast support of Ukraine and emphasized the importance of protecting children, who suffer the most from the war.
This was reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
“Dear President of Parliament, it is a great honor to experience the respect of Norwegian parliamentarians for the Churches of Ukraine. On behalf of Ukrainian civil society, we thank Norway for being a staunch and loyal ally and friend of Ukraine,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Head of the UGCC noted that today Ukrainian soldiers are defending not only their own country, but all of Europe: “Europe must wake up and take care of its own security. Today, you have told us how important Ukrainian soldiers are, defending not only Ukraine, but also Europe from modern totalitarianism.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav paid special attention to the fate of children, who suffer most from the war.
“According to official statistics, 250,000 children in Ukraine can neither read nor write, and almost a quarter of students have never been to school,” he said. “Today, underground schools are being built in Ukraine, and to teach or to learn is an act of heroism.”
The Head of the Church also spoke with pain about the children who are being illegally deported from the occupied territories by the Russians.
“Today, a website has been launched in Luhansk where children are reportedly being sold. Russia officially claims to have ‘rescued’ 600,000 Ukrainian children... And then their parents spend their whole lives searching for their children,” said the Head of the UGCC.
Addressing the children who were present at the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized: “The fact that you are here today, dear children, that you have a teacher, that you have the opportunity to study, is a special gift from God. Remember your peers in Ukraine. And we, adults, both in Ukraine and in Norway, must contribute to making Europe a good, welcoming home for the future of our children.”
At the end of the meeting, the Head of the UGCC thanked Norway for its openness, support, and humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people, as well as for its friendly attitude toward the Ukrainian community.
“Ukrainians in Norway can truly be partners to the Norwegian state. Thank you for your friendly attitude towards our community and for the help you provide to Ukraine,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
During their visit to the Norwegian Parliament, Ukrainian religious leaders said a short prayer in the parliamentary chapel.