Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the distributor of papal alms, arrived in Ukraine on March 8 on a special mission.
The purpose of his visit is to witness the personal closeness of His Holiness Francis to the Ukrainian people, who are suffering from the war, the UGCC Information Department reports.
In Lviv, the Papal Legate was met by the head of the UGCC Sviatoslav and Metropolitan of the Lviv of RCC in Ukraine Archbishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki. Cardinal Krajewski said that he wants to visit social service centers in Ukraine and meet with refugees and all those who are victims of Russia's war against Ukraine.
During the meeting, Cardinal Krajewski, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Archbishop Mieczyslaw had the opportunity to communicate directly with Pope Francis. The Papal Legate told the Holy Father about his first impressions of the visit, in particular, what he saw on the territory of Poland.
Note that the Papal Legate's visit to Ukraine does not have a planned completion date. The Holy Father instructed him to stay in Ukraine for as long as it takes to ensure that the Ukrainian people are accompanied on behalf of the Apostolic capital in these dramatic moments of its history.
"Pope Francis wants to be present in person through his legate. And this is the purpose of his visit," the Head of the UGCC notes.
A detailed program of Cardinal Konrad Krajewski's stay in Ukraine has not yet been published, but it is known that on Thursday, March 10, he will visit the social service centers of the UGCC and take part in a joint prayer with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
During a Sunday meeting with pilgrims on March 6, 2022, Pope Francis announced a special mission of two cardinals – Cardinal Krajewski, Apostolic Almoner, to deliver aid to those in need, and Cardinal Czerny, interim Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
According to the Holy Father, the presence of two cardinals there, on the spot, is the presence not only of the Pope but also of the entire Christian people who want to be close and say: "War is madness! Stop, please! Just look at all this cruelty!"