Uliana Zhuravchyk from Ukraine is a volunteer and chair of the Ukrainian translation section. She was at the dinner table with Pope Francis.
Uliana Zhuravchyk from Ukraine is a volunteer and chair of the Ukrainian translation section. She was at the dinner table with Pope Francis.
The Holy Father observed yet another tradition of the World Youth Day – received at the lunch 12 young people: two per each continent of the world and two of the host country, i.e. from Poland. This dinner was held on Saturday July 30, 2016, after the Mass that the Pope celebrated with priests, religious and seminarians.
The lunch was held in a sincere, homely atmosphere of total joy and many selfies. Young people had the opportunity to ask the4 Pope questions with all the spontaneity, to which he answered very specifically and yet deeply. The lunch with the Pope Francis ended with a joint prayer.
The representative of Ukraine, taking advantage of this opportunity, talked with Pope Francis. In particular, she raised the issue, which all Ukrainian are concerned about so much today, and especially the young, who live in the affected country: war in the East.
“I thanked the Pope for his support for Ukraine,” Uliana said, “in particular, for that Catholic collection of funds for Ukraine, because there is a war going on. It is known that we live in difficult times, the war is ongoing about which Cardinal Parolin said that this is war everyone keeps silent about. The world is silent about this war, and it continues. I did not tell this to the Pope, but said I cordially thank him so that he knew that we remember that. Ukrainian youth, our volunteers when they knew that I was going to lunch with the Pope, asked me to tell him we need his fatherly words, always look at him and want him to support us. In these difficult times his word is the most for us to feel loved and knew what he remembers about us. I invited him to Ukraine. Then the Pope looked at me warmly, emotionally, with great love, and asked to convey to Ukrainians, including Ukrainian youth that he is with us, he really is with us and he supports us. He then recalled the years of his youth as he was brought by bishop Stefan Czmil. The Pope knows well the Greek Catholic rite. In the end, when we approached the Pope on each rosary and he blessed everyone, and I was the nearest holding an icon of the Virgin Mary “Doors of Mercy.” I asked, the Pope to bless it for Ukrainian youth; he blessed. As soon as I came to him, he greeted me with a Ukrainian Christian greeting: “Glory to Jesus Christ.” This was reported by CREDO that cited Vatican Radio.