General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor visits Ukraine

By Vatican News reporter

The General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor (OFM), Brother Massimo Fusarelli, OFM, began a week-long visit to Romania, Ukraine and Poland on Sunday to express the  closeness of the Franciscan family to all those suffering the war in Ukraine.

The pilgrimage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people

Up until April 12, he will be joining an international delegation of religious leaders traveling to Romania and Ukraine for an "Interfaith pilgrimage of solidarity with the Ukrainian people" organized by the US nonprofit organization ‘Peace Department’ and by the Elijah Interfaith Institute of Jerusalem.

Other members of the delegation, include the Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Canterbury Rowan Williams, British Rabbi Jonathan Wittenberg, the Grand Mufti emeritus of Bosnia, Mustafa Céric, Orthodox Archbishop of the United Kingdom Nikitas Lulias, Italian Muslim  Imam Yahya Pallavacini,  Hindu Monk Swami Sarvapriyananda and Buddhist Sister Giác Nghiêm from France.

The highlight of the pilgrimage will be a public event to be held on April 12, in the main theater of Chernivtsi n Western Ukraine, in which the  speeches by the religious leaders will be accompanied by the testimonies of Ukrainian refugees..

As pointed out by the organizers,  the aim of the pilgrimage is to show by example that in times of war and division we can and must continue to appeal to the highest values of humanity that unite us, and which unite all religious faiths.  "This is the first time ever that an interfaith delegation has embarked on a mission of friendship and solidarity, entering a country at war”, noted Rabbi Goshen-Gottstein, founder and executive director of the Elijah Interfaith Institute. 

Meeting Franciscan friars and refugees in Ukraine and Poland

From 13 April, Brother Massimo Fusarelli  who is accompanied by the Provincial of Assisi, Br. Francesco Piloni, will continue his journey in Ukraine by visiting a house of the friars of the Greek Catholic rite and two religious houses of the friars' Province of St. Michael, and  meeting refugees and people in need of assistance there.

The General Minister will conclude his visit in Kalwaria, Poland,  where he will meet friars and more Ukrainian refugees who have found shelter there.