Notizie.it editorial team A significant meeting
The recent meeting between Pope Leo XIV and Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, took place in the Apostolic Palace, marking a crucial moment for the Ukrainian community in a time of great suffering. During the audience, Shevchuk expressed his gratitude to the Pontiff for his constant calls to end the war, calling them “a true spiritual balm for the wounded soul of the Ukrainian people.”
These words resonate strongly in a context where war has devastated lives and communities, leaving deep scars.
A Call for Peace
Shevchuk took the opportunity to invite the Pope to make an apostolic visit to Ukraine, stressing the importance of such a gesture. “When Saint John Paul II came to us, Ukrainians believed that communism would never return to our land,” he recalled. Today, in a context of conflict, the hope is that the Pope’s presence can help stop the war. The archbishop conveyed the invitation of millions of Ukrainians, eager to receive a sign of closeness and support from the Pontiff.
The role of the Holy See
The Pope assured Shevchuk of his support for the Ukrainian people, promising that the Holy See will continue to promote dialogue and create the necessary conditions for peace. During the meeting, Shevchuk also gave the Pope a list of Ukrainians detained in Russia and missing, stressing the need to continue efforts for their release. “Every time I visit our parishes, I meet the families of prisoners of war and missing persons,” he said, stressing the importance of keeping alive the memory of those who suffer.
A symbolic gesture
At the end of the audience, Shevchuk presented the Pope with a symbolic painting representing the pain of the Ukrainian people, the work of artist Bohdan Pylypiv, father of a killed soldier. This gesture not only testifies to the suffering, but also to the resilience of a people who continue to hope for a future of peace. Shevchuk also invited the Pope to meet with Ukrainian pilgrims who will arrive in Rome for the Jubilee of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, a further sign of unity and hope in a time of great difficulty.