Patriarch Bartholomew blessed the Ukrainian people: The whole free world is on your side

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who also conveyed his blessing to the Ukrainian people, said this at a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation, reports Ukrinform.

"In your person, I congratulate and bless the Ukrainian people. We all know about his courage and heroism. The Mother Church demonstrates its support through prayers, its love and care, and all other possible means to ease your pain,” His Holiness said at a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation.

According to him, such support was also provided by the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which made it possible to be independent in religious life.

"We have full faith in God's will and courage of the Ukrainian people. We are confident in the victory of Ukraine. It will be a victory of justice and truth. The whole free world is on the side of Ukraine,” he said.

The Ukrainian delegation was headed by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets.

"We thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his daily prayerful support of Ukrainians and the Ukrainian state. I conveyed congratulations from the president of Ukraine, from the entire Ukrainian army, which is now defending the democracy of the whole world from Russian tyranny,” Dmytro Lubinets said in a comment to Ukrinform following the meeting.

Also, read about: Bartholomew wished Ukrainians a Merry Christmas and passed on his blessings.

At the meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch, they discussed the return of Ukrainian citizens from Russian captivity.

"Of course, the number one priority for us is the return of all Ukrainian citizens illegally detained by the Russian Federation. Both in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and in the territory of the Russian Federation. We have separately raised the issue of civilian hostages held by the Russian Federation since 2014 and the situation with prisoners of war,” the Ukrainian Ombudsman said.

At the audience with his All-Holiness, the former prisoners shared their memories of their captivity and release and thanked the Ecumenical Patriarch for his prayers and support for Ukraine and Her people. Former prisoners of the Kremlin and relatives of Ukrainians who are in captivity appealed to the Ecumenical Patriarch with a request to facilitate the release of their brothers and relatives.