From November 7 to 10, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will be on a working visit to Brussels, Belgium. The invitation for this visit comes from Archbishop Mariano Crociata, the President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), for participation in the General Assembly of this organization and meetings at the European Commission.
This was reported by the Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome.
The main objective of the UGCC Head's visit is to voice the aspirations of the Ukrainian people regarding Ukraine's European integration with both the church and state institutions of the European Union.
On November 7, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will meet with Father Manuel Barrios Prieto, the General Secretary of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe; Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement; Michael Zibert, Executive Director for Eastern Europe; Archbishop Neale Treanor, the Apostolic Nuncio to the European Union; and Klaus Welle, former Secretary-General of the European Parliament.
On November 8, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will meet with the leadership of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and members of the European Parliament. In the afternoon, the first session of the COMECE General Assembly will begin.
On the same day, at 19:30, in celebration of the Feast of St. Archangel Michael, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will preside over the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at the Ukrainian parish of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in Ghent.
On Thursday, November 9, the Head of the UGCC will address the COMECE General Assembly with a presentation on the war in Ukraine, its consequences, and the role of the Church in times of war.