Today, March 25, 2021, Pope Francis received Denis Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, at the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, who later met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
According to Vatican Radio, at the beginning of the talks at the State Secretariat, the parties focused on good bilateral relations between the Holy See and Ukraine, paying special attention to some topical issues of bilateral interest, as well as various topics related to the life and activities of the Catholic Church in the country.
During the conversation, "a lot of time is devoted to the crisis in the healthcare system and the dramatic situation in eastern Ukraine. It was hoped that the recent violations of the ceasefire regime would give way to gestures that would contribute to a peaceful resolution of the conflict."
The conversation between the head of the Ukrainian government and Pope Francis lasted about half an hour and ended with a presentation of the delegation and an exchange of gifts.
The Holy Father presented the Prime Minister of Ukraine with a bronze composition "Let's Fill Our Hands with Other Hands", which is a symbol of brotherhood and solidarity, and special editions of his encyclical and other documents, in particular, the current message for World Peace Day and the document on universal brotherhood.
Denis Shmygal presented the Pope with a facsimile edition of the Vienna Octoechos and a reproduction of the sculpture "bitter memory of childhood" installed in the National Holodomor-Genocide Museum in Kyiv, along with Raphael Lemkin's book "Soviet genocide in Ukraine".