Pope meets delegates of Ukrainian Churches for the first time

Pope Francis meeting the delegates of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations. Photo: Vatican Media

On January 25, Pope Francis met with the delegates of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and members of the interdenominational Ukrainian Bible Society in the Vatican, reports the “Vatican News” website.

"Thank you for this unity of yours, it means a lot to me. It's like children in a family, where one is there, the other is somewhere else, but when mum is ill, everyone comes together," the Pope said during the meeting.

According to the pontiff, all joint initiatives of Ukrainian religious organisations and Churches, implemented in the spirit of brotherhood, are a gift from God.

"This is a concrete testimony of peace in a country suffering from war. Your actions, carried out with perseverance and courage, effectively prepare for tomorrow, a day of peace, in which the economic and political interests that give rise to war will finally give way to the common good of the peoples. I pray for this daily," the Pope stressed. “I pray with you and for you, dear brothers, for your people, the beloved Ukrainian nation. May God bless it with the gift of peace!"

As reported, the head of the OCU Epifaniy Dumenko for the first time as part of a delegation of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations went to the Vatican. During the visit, he and Evstratii Zoria will pray together with the Pope for the unity of Christians.

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