During a meeting with Polish journalists on March 19th in Kyiv, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the Polish people, state, and Catholic Church in Poland for their unprecedented support of Ukrainians and urged against succumbing to manipulations that could lead to confrontation with Ukraine.
This was reported by the Information Department of the UCGG.
"Your support, which we feel every day, is a true testimony of Christian faith," he said.
The UGCC Head thanked the Roman Catholic Church in Poland for its hospitality towards Ukrainian refugees and for opening its churches to Greek Catholic priests and laity. "During the war, our Wroclaw-Koszalin Eparchy has doubled the number of parishes," he said.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav called on Poles not to get tired of Ukrainians who have found refuge in Poland. He emphasized that Ukrainians seek to integrate into Polish society and work for the country's good.
"We know that hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians working in Poland pay taxes. This indicates that they do not intend to just 'take from Polish pockets,'" he said.
The UGCC Head expressed concern about protests by Polish farmers blocking the Ukrainian border. He urged Poles not to use this situation for confrontation with Ukraine.
"This is nothing but political manipulation," the Patriarch said. "When farmers protest and block [the Ukrainian] border, while grain and other products from Russia freely enter Poland, does it not indicate manipulation?"
His Beatitude Sviatoslav called for open dialogue between Ukrainian and Polish peoples to find solutions to problems.
"The only way to improve relations is through dialogue," he said. "We understand the problems and are ready for open dialogue and the development of our relations."
During the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav also answered questions about UGCC pastoral care during the war, the possibility of forgiveness by Ukrainians towards Russians, readiness for negotiations, ecumenical relations, and Ukraine's reconstruction.
It is important to note that the visit of Polish journalists to Ukraine will last from March 19 to 22, 2024. The program includes meetings with religious leaders of various denominations, visits to war-affected cities, conversations with chaplains, volunteers, families of fallen soldiers, as well as visits to religious educational institutions.
The purpose of the visit is to familiarize with the activities of religious organizations in Ukraine amidst war conditions, visit cities affected by Russian aggression, communicate with war-affected people and those who help them, and report on the situation in Ukraine for Polish media.
Among the journalists and editors who arrived in Ukraine are representatives of the Catholic Information Agency, Polish Press Agency, Polish Radio, weekly magazines "Gość Niedzielny," "W Sieci," "Przewodnik Katolicki," and the daily newspaper "Rzeczpospolita." The group is accompanied by Father Stefan Batrukh, President of the Borderland Spiritual Culture Foundation and pastor of the Greek Catholic parish in Lublin.