On October 17, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church arrived in Norway. He was greeted at Oslo-Gardermoen International Airport by Father Myron Kuspys, the priest for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in the Norwegian capital, along with parishioners and members of the Ukrainian community.
As reported by the UGCC Department for Information, on the first day of his visit, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Oslo, Fredrik Hansen.
On Saturday, October 18, the Head of the UGCC will visit the Ukrainian Embassy in Norway and meet with representatives of the Ukrainian community.
On Sunday, October 19, at St. Hallvard's Church in Oslo (St. Hallvard Kirke, Enerhauggata 4, 0651 Oslo, Norway), His Beatitude Sviatoslav will lead a festive Divine Liturgy for Ukrainians living in Norway. He will concelebrate with Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh, the Apostolic Exarch in Germany and Scandinavia.
Starting on Monday, October 20, the official visit of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations (UCCRO) to Norway will begin, lasting until October 22. As part of this visit, an ecumenical prayer for peace will be held in the Lutheran Cathedral in Oslo, during which the Head of the UGCC will deliver a sermon.
The program for the UCCRO visit includes several important interchurch and state meetings. Religious leaders from Ukraine will have an audience with King Harald V of Norway, meet with Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, and engage with other representatives from the country's legislative and executive branches. They will also meet with church leaders, including Olav Fykse Tveit, presiding bishop of the Church of Norway. While in Oslo, members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches will also visit the Nobel Peace Center.