Major Archbishop Shevchuk: ‘Pope remains close to suffering Ukrainians’

By Salvatore Cernuzio and Lisa Zengarini

Pope Francis on Thursday received in audience Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is in Rome for the Synod on Synodality, where he is bringing the voice of the suffering Ukrainian people and of all Eastern Churches. 

The papal audience took place on the eve of Pope Francis' meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on October 11.

Speaking to Vatican News’ Salvatore Cernuzio on the sidelines of the assembly, the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halyč described the meeting with the Pope “as a spiritual moment of dialogue and reflection.”

Concern for the most vulnerable in the war

"I wanted to inform the Holy Father about the situation in Ukraine, the disaster of the war we are living through, and the challenges we will face as winter approaches," he explained. "He is truly concerned for the civilian population, for what is happening in Ukraine, and for the most vulnerable who are the ones suffering the most."

Major Archbishop Shevchuk also explained that he informed Pope Francis about the life of the Ukrainian Church in these circumstances and, in particular, about the recent Synod of the Greek Catholic Bishops, which focused on the theme of evangelization and on how to proclaim the Word of God and bring its message of hope to desperate people.

He said he handed him a Pastoral Letter on war and just peace,  summarizing fruits of the Synod and reflecting on the current situation in Ukraine.

Pope's gratitude for the "heroic" service of the Church

"Pope Francis," the Archbishop Major continued, “thanked me for the heroic service of our Church, bishops, and priests and assured me of his prayers and blessings."

For his part, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church reiterated his gratitude to Pope Francis "for his many interventions and for always remembering 'martyred' Ukraine.”

He also thanked him for mediating the release of ten Ukrainian civilians, including the Redemptorist priests Ivan Haleta and Bohdan Levytskyy arrested by the Russians in November 2022.

Their release was part of an exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war mediated by the Holy See, and prompted President Zelensky, among others, to thank the Holy See for "the efforts" made "to bring these people home."

President Zelensky’s visit

Commenting on Pope Francis’ audience with the Ukrainian President on Friday, Archbishop Shevchuk said President Zelensky has a great respect for the Holy Father, whom he conders to be a “global moral voice and authority."

"Sharing Ukraine's pains and having the support of the Pope and the Holy See for our country and our suffering people is vital for us,” he said.

This will be President Zelensky’s third visit to the Vatican and his fourth in-person meeting with Pope Francis, which includes the private bilateral meeting held in June on the sidelines of the G7 in Puglia 

A plea for solidarity with the Ukrainian people

Before returning to the Synod’s discussions, Major Archbishop Shevchuk launched  an impassioned appeal to the international community to support the Ukrainian people with prayer and material aid.

"We ask for your solidarity and prayers. Nearly 6 million Ukrainians will face a food crisis this winter. We need to feed the hungry," he said, adding that "we must also offer our warmth and attention to people who will suffer cold.”