On March 26-28, 2025, the COMECE Spring Assembly was held in Nemi, Italy, to discuss the challenges of European unity, the role of the EU in the global geopolitical context, and ways to establish a just and lasting peace. For the first time in history, official observers from the Head of the UGCC joined this event: Bishop Stepan Sus, Head of the Pastoral Migration Department of the UGCC, and Fr. Ivan Danchevsky, Synkellos in the Benelux countries.
As reported by the UGCC Department for Information, the Assembly was held at the Ad Gentes Center and brought together bishops and experts from different European countries.
The Assembly was also attended by representatives of the Holy See, in particular Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, who in his address noted the presence of representatives of the UGCC: “Following the request of His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk made during the previous plenary assembly, the Catholic Church from Ukraine is now represented as an observer at the plenary assemblies, and I am glad to see them here today.”
The cardinal emphasized that in the face of modern challenges, “it is our duty to stand with the Ukrainian people who have suffered unjust aggression, to help them to the best of one's abilities.”
Bishop Stepan Sus, commenting on his participation in the meetings, said: “Our Church is global in the sense that its structures - dioceses and parishes - are located in Ukraine and abroad. The UGCC has long been present in the EU. The very fact that our Church was invited to COMECE is a sign that its voice is important in the current circumstances of turbulence.”
A special moment of the assembly was the joint trip of the participants to Rome, where they made a pilgrimage to St. Peter's Basilica and passed through the Holy Door as part of the anniversary year. They also had a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary of the Holy See for Relations with States and International Organizations.
“It is important for all of us that the war in Ukraine does not become a topic of the last pages of newspapers or publications. Sometimes it seems that people “forget” about us or get tired of talking about us. That is why the participation of the UGCC in COMECE is an important voice of the long-suffering Ukrainian people that must be heard,” said Bishop Stepan Sus.
During the assembly, meetings were held with Italian experts and diplomats, including former Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Paolo Gentiloni. The topics of discussion included the EU's economic challenges, security, social justice issues, and the role of the Church in these processes.