On August 20, at the Patriarchal Center in Kyiv, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Croatia to Ukraine, Ms. Anica Djamić.
During the conversation, they discussed the solidarity of the Croatian people with the Ukrainian people, the wounds of war, and the vision for Ukraine’s future restoration, as reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
“I would like to thank you, Madam Ambassador, for your support of the Catholic Church in Ukraine. You are present at many events, especially those related to the promotion of family values. We deeply appreciate this,” the Head of the UGCC said to Ms. Djamić.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also thanked the Croatian people for their solidarity with Ukraine: “Today we feel that Croatia and the Catholic Church in Croatia are staunchly on the side of our country and our Church,” he emphasized.
In response, Ambassador Djamić stressed that her support for Ukraine and the Catholic Church came naturally: “When I came to Ukraine, I wanted people to know that there is another country in Europe where the Ukrainian Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Churches are active and where people go to church. The fact that I stayed in Ukraine from the beginning of the war was natural for me. I felt that this was the place where I belonged. For me, this term of office is a true gift from God.”
Special attention was given to the issue of healing the wounds of war. The Head of the UGCC emphasized that this experience unites Ukraine and Croatia.
“Our Synod has declared pastoral care for healing the wounds of war to be one of its main priorities. We understand that war trauma affects not only soldiers, but everyone who has endured bombardment or danger. The future of Ukraine depends on whether we can overcome this trauma. Croatia has unique experience, and we want to learn from you,” the Patriarch stressed.
For her part, the Croatian Ambassador spoke about her country’s initiatives to help veterans and underlined the spiritual dimension of the rehabilitation process.