The 82nd General Assembly of the Italian Bishops’ Conference is being held in Rome from May 26 to May 29. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), has also been invited to attend. On this occasion, he expressed his gratitude to the assembly's participants in a letter.
This was reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
In his address, the Head of the UGCC expressed gratitude to the Italian bishops for their longstanding solidarity with the Ukrainian people and urged them to continue supporting Ukraine, which is facing “the ordeal of a sacrilegious war.”
“I am often asked whether the Ukrainian people still have hope. Yes, we have hope! I would say that we are a people of hope,” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav. He noted that the faith of the Ukrainian people is deeply rooted in Christ’s Resurrection, which serves as a source of strength and resilience.
He extended special thanks to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, as well as to Caritas Italiana, Italian dioceses, parishes, monastic communities, and all the faithful for their diverse forms of humanitarian aid to Ukraine and to Ukrainian refugees in Italy.
In his letter, the Head of the Church highlighted the tangible results of this international ecclesiastical solidarity. Thanks to the support of the Italian Church, children of fallen Ukrainian soldiers have had the opportunity to spend their summer vacations in Italy. Additionally, during the past winter, affected Ukrainian cities received generators to provide heat and electricity amid massive Russian attacks on energy infrastructure.
“Such assistance, after more than four years of large-scale war, is a shining testament of faith, expressed through brotherly love and concrete evangelical closeness,” stated the Head of the UGCC.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also thanked the Italian bishops for supporting the Apostolic Exarchate in Italy and for assisting Ukrainian priests serving the faithful of the UGCC in the country.
“This ecclesiastical cooperation, accompanied by fraternal hospitality, is a valuable sign of communion and a witness that we are a Church that walks together,” emphasized the Head of the UGCC.
Additionally, the Head of the Church acknowledged Cardinal Matteo Zuppi’s humanitarian mission aimed at facilitating the release of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.
At the same time, His Beatitude Sviatoslav stressed that the war continues, with the heaviest burden still falling on the civilian population. He cited UN statistics, noting that in 2025, the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine increased by 35% compared to the previous year and by 70% compared to 2023.
“I urge you to continue showing solidarity with the Ukrainian people, remembering the words of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, that we must not grow accustomed to war but must courageously seek a just and lasting peace,” the letter concludes.