The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, hopes that dialogue and communication with Pope Leo XIV will significantly impact deterring Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Source: Ukrinform
He said this in an interview with Polish journalist Krzysztof Tomasik, published on the UGCC website.
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, he met with the future pontiff (then Cardinal Robert Prevost) at the Synods of Bishops in the Vatican.
“I would not say that I know him personally, as we did not have many opportunities to discuss various topics. However, I got the impression that he was a very quiet person — some might even describe him as invisible. He seldom drew attention to himself; he prayed quietly and was an incredibly modest individual,” said the head of the UGCC.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that they both studied at the Dominican Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as Angelicum, in Rome.
According to him, Pope Leo XIV will serve during a very challenging period, which Pope Francis described as a “piecemeal World War III,” a time when the Catholic Church is facing significant difficulties.
The head of the UGCC noted that one of the challenges is the war in Ukraine, as well as the complexities surrounding the concept of “China”. Pope Francis made efforts to address these challenges, but he was not entirely successful. Therefore, Pope Leo XIV will need to establish his church family and ministry in a way that effectively responds to the issues at hand.
The head of the UGCC described the Vatican’s relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump and modern America as one of the most challenging areas of the pontiff’s work, especially from the perspective of an American citizen.
Leo XIV is facing significant challenges and has made it clear that these issues are not personal, but instead are concerns affecting the entire Church,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized.
In his view, the new Pope is aware of the situation in Ukraine. He gave a significant interview in early 2022, following the full-scale invasion, which is gaining increasing recognition today. While he was in Peru and overseeing certain commissions within the Peruvian bishops’ conference, he clearly articulated the implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine. He stated that it represents a conflict between imperialist colonizers and free people who have both the right and the duty to defend their land.
According to the head of the UGCC, the Pope listened to what the Ukrainian Church said and trusted its voice. He expressed hope that the Pontiff “will also listen to us before listening to propagandists from Moscow or other ideologues who try to demean, slander our Church, or distort the truth about Ukraine. He will listen to the voice of the Church from Ukraine, and in this way, it will be, I would say, an interpretative matrix for him, through which he will understand what to say, how to act, and how to respond in relation to our nation and Church.”
“We hope that dialogue and communication, particularly between our Church and the new Pope, will grow and develop, and this will significantly influence the position of the Apostolic See and concrete steps, including diplomatic ones, to restrain and stop the barbaric invasion that is destroying Ukraine,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
He also added that on Wednesday, the day when general audiences usually take place, the Pope will meet with Eastern Catholic churches. “First and foremost, we want to say to the Pope that for Ukrainians, he is seen as a ‘peace builder’... May the Lord God help him fulfill this important role so that the war in Ukraine comes to an end as soon as possible.”