There are three conditions for the visit of Pope Francis to Ukraine, said the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) said in an interview with Radio Liberty.
There are three conditions for the visit of Pope Francis to Ukraine, said the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Patriarch Svyatoslav (Shevchuk) said in an interview with Radio Liberty.
"When Vatican Secretary of state Parolin came to our working session, we asked him directly: what is necessary for the Pope to come? He said there were several conditions. The first is the invitation of the Catholic Churches. The second is an invitation from the Ukrainian government. We have a new President. I hope that he will invite the Pope. Third. Parolin said that it is necessary that other Christian churches do not object to the visit," the priest said.
He objected that the "hand of Moscow" interferes with the potential visit of the Pope to Ukraine.
"It is not necessary to see the "hand of Moscow" in everything. It is there. But we don't need to be dependent on it and just mentally free ourselves from it. This year we left the Synod of Bishops of our Church in Rome. And we had the opportunity in the bosom of an entire episcopate to have a meeting with the Holy Father. And we have officially once again invited him to come to Ukraine. He promised me that he took it very seriously," said the head of the UGCC and added:
"I even encouraged Volodymyr Zelensky, for example, to leave, a visit to the Vatican. As far as I feel this way, our new government has an understanding of how mature Ukraine's policy towards relations with the Ecumenical Bishop is important for our independent state. I also feel that the Holy Father understands the importance of such a visit."
According to the head of the UGCC, "three important sensitivities of the Pope: peace issues, poor people's issues and environmental issues, will bring the Pope sooner or later to visit Ukraine.
In 2001, Pope John Paul II visited Lviv and Kyiv.