During a meeting that took place on August 25 at the residence of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) in Kyiv, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the newly appointed Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine, Natalia Tsmots, discussed the development of cooperation between the Church and the Canadian Embassy for the benefit of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
This was reported by the Information Department of the UGCC.
Natalia Tsmots, who is beginning her diplomatic mission in Ukraine these days, succeeded Larisa Haladzha in this position. The meeting with the Head of the UGCC was one of her first after the appointment. His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that he is pleased to meet with Ms. Natalia, who is a descendant of Ukrainian emigrants in Canada. "We are very pleased that the Ukrainian community in Canada once again bestows Ukraine with the Ambassador of Canada," he emphasized.
During the meeting, the Head of the UGCC discussed with the new Canadian Ambassador the circumstances under which she begins her work in Ukraine. "A friend is known in trouble, and today Canada is a true friend of Ukraine, a great country that has stood by our homeland during the difficult moments of our history," noted His Beatitude Sviatoslav, thanking Canada for its support of Ukraine.
The diplomat inquired about the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church's ministry in the context of the war. "Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, as a Church, we have found ourselves on two fronts: informational and humanitarian," the Primate explained. "On each of them, Canada has been a good ally."
In dialogue with the Canadian Embassy, according to the Patriarch of the UGCC, the Church learned to correctly formulate the message about Ukraine to the international community. Ms. Natalia noted that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which has structures around the world, is a powerful voice of Ukraine to the international community in conveying the truth about Russian aggression.
Regarding humanitarian challenges, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that due to international solidarity, Ukrainians achieved victory on the humanitarian front. The humanitarian crisis, of unprecedented scale since World War II, did not turn into a catastrophe, thanks to international support. The Ambassador of Canada highlighted the significant role of the Ukrainian-Greek Catholic Church in this context.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed his gratitude to the leader of the diplomatic mission for the Canadian Embassy's support in a significant project dedicated to addressing the aftermath of Russian aggression. This initiative involves the training of UGCC clergy in providing pastoral care within the context of war-related injuries. The training is scheduled to commence in the upcoming days of September. Ms. Natalia ensured that she will personally attend this training session, where she will engage with priests, along with experts, psychologists, and medical professionals, who will guide them in effectively ministering in today's complex circumstances.
In conclusion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the newly appointed Ambassador of Canada to Ukraine agreed on the further development of cooperation between the UGCC and the Embassy, particularly in the sphere of social service carried out by the UGCC through Caritas Ukraine and the Patriarchal Foundation "Mudra Sprava" (Wise Cause).