On April 8, 2024, in Kyiv, His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the delegation of the German Bishops' Conference, led by Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg, who arrived in Ukraine on a solidarity visit.
As per the UGCC Information Department, Bishop Bertram assured that both the Catholic Church and the people of Germany stand united with Ukraine in confronting the extensive Russian aggression and the hardships endured by Ukrainians due to the ongoing war.
The delegation presented His Beatitude Sviatoslav with the document "Peace to This House", Friede diesem Haus), issued by the German Bishops' Conference in February 2024. His Beatitude expressed gratitude for this document, underlining its significance in spreading awareness.
In return, the head of the UGCC shared with the delegation the message of the Archiepiscopal Synod of the UGCC for 2024, titled "Save the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor", elucidating its key points. This document has been translated into six languages, including German.
The German guests inquired about His Beatitude Sviatoslav's personal experiences of the war. The Patriarch explained that prayer, scripture reading, the teachings of Church Fathers, and personal reflection serve as sources of strength and resilience for him.
The delegation presented His Beatitude with a candle adorned with an icon of the Augsburg Virgin Mary, known for untying knots. In return, His Beatitude Sviatoslav gifted them a candle crafted from a shell casing, symbolizing the transformation of an instrument of violence into a beacon of light.
The German Catholic episcopate delegation comprised:
- Dr. Bertram Meier, Bishop of Augsburg and Chairman of the Joint Commission for External Relations;
- Jörg Lüer, Chairman of the "Justice and Peace" Commission and Director of the Maximilian Kolbe Foundation;
- Ulrich Pener, Director of the Department of International Church Affairs and Migration;
- Eva Sova, secretary to Bishop Bertram.
During their visit to Kyiv, the delegation acquainted themselves with the activities of the Patriarchal Foundation Mudra Sprava (‘Wise Cause”), visited a healing center for wounded in Borispol, and met with relatives of fallen soldiers at the Alley of Ukrainian Heroes in Brovary.
As part of their itinerary, the delegates are also scheduled to meet with the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, Deputy Head of the Military Chaplaincy of the UGCC Father Andriy Zelinsky, and representatives from other denominations and state authorities, including Viktor Yelensky, the head of the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience.