On June 26 at the Vatican Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), Head of the UGCC met with our Holy Father Francis. The meeting was part of an audience for members of the 87th Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
On June 26 at the Vatican Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), Head of the UGCC met with our Holy Father Francis. The meeting was part of an audience for members of the 87th Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
Patriarch Sviatoslav had the opportunity to personally speak with the Pope, he told him about the situation in Ukraine, thousands of refugees and hundreds of wounded and dead. According to him, the Pope Francis said that he was praying for Ukraine and doing everything possible so that there was peace and consent in our country. The Holy Father also personally greeted the UGCC Head on the 20th Anniversary of his pastoral service, which fell on this day.
Addressing the audience, Pope Francis spoke about the importance of making peace in the modern world, stressing that the main "peace-maker is Christ himself." The Holy Father greeted the representatives of the Eastern Churches and thanked them for their contribution to building peace and harmony in the countries they represent. He also urged Christians to pray that his journey to the Holy Land brought the “fruits of unity among Christians". “The fire of Pentecost and the power of love, said the Pope, can stop the fire of weapon, hatred and discord”.
The working session of the 87th Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, a body which brings together the various charities that support the pastoral work of the Eastern Churches, began on June 24-26 at the Vatican. This year, special attention was paid to the situation in Ukraine, the Information Department of the UGCC reports.