Ukrainian Greek Catholic Head Intends to ‘Bring the Issue of Polish-Ukrainian Reconciliation to a Whole New Level’

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Patriarch Sviatoslav Shevchuk, will pay an official visit to the Republic of Poland from June 26 to 30.

On June 27 in Warsaw, the head of the UGCC will participate in a memorial service to mark the 70th anniversary of the Volyn tragedy, which will also be attended by Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk, the Primate of Poland, Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, Metropolitan of Warsaw, and Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski. After the prayer, the head of the UGCC will have a meeting with the president of Poland.

The next day, June 28, the patriarch will have an official meeting with the Marshal of the Sejm Ewa Kopacz and a separate meeting with the Polish Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz.

On the eve of the visit the head of the church told Polish media that at first the visit was planned as a “purely pastoral” visit to the faithful in the northern area of the Archeparchy of Przemyśl–Warsaw (to celebrate the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus-Ukraine. “However, due to circumstances (70th anniversary of the Volyn tragedy) and the new emphasis on the issue of Polish-Ukrainian relations, the visit took on another character. It has the status of a state visit from the Polish side. During this visit I will meet for the first time with the President of Poland, Marshal of the Sejm, and the Marshal of the Senate. My main message can be described with the words of the risen Jesus Christ, ‘Peace be with you,’” said the head of the Greek Catholics.

Patriarch Sviatoslav intends to “bring the issue of Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation to a whole new level.” “This is expressed in simple words, first written by Polish bishops to the bishops of Germany immediately after World War II: Forgive and ask for forgiveness,” said the head of the UGCC.

“We have no power over our history. It is complicated. We now have to be mature enough – both the Ukrainian and Polish sides – to have the strength to look into the future. Unlike in the past, we have power over the future. I am sure that we – Poles and Ukrainians – are two brotherly European nations who are called together to build a common European future,” he said.