Patriarch Sviatoslav Says that Church and State Should Try to Save Life of Lutsenko

Before a meeting with students of the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy on May 17, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav, was asked by journalists if he adheres to the Open Letter of Cardinal Lubomyr (Husar) to the imprisoned opposition politician, Yurii Lutsenko, who is on hunger strike.

Patriarch Sviatoslav answered: “I think we should save his life. It is not only the calling of the church but also of the state. I hope that this life will be saved," Pavlo Berest told RISU.

The former head of the UGCC, Cardinal Lubomyr, addressed the former Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Yurii Lutsenko, with a request to stop the hunger strike. “I do not try to make any analysis as I do not feel competent in this regard, but, from the human viewpoint, I would like to ask you to stop your hunger strike as it finds no due response from the authorities,” reads the address.

Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate also called Lutsenko to stop the hunger strike.