Vatican News / Salvatore Cernuzio – Vatican
Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk brought numerous gifts—postal stamps, books, and photo albums—as well as Ukraine’s prayers and gratitude for the appeals and humanitarian efforts of the Holy See. He also handed over a list containing the names of hundreds of prisoners of war held in Russia, according to a statement released after the audience.
This is the fifth meeting between the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Pope, who has been taking action for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. These efforts also include recent telephone conversations with Presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which the Pope appealed for a ceasefire in Oleshky, occupied by Russian forces. A humanitarian drama is unfolding there for residents left without food, water, and medicine.
Missions of Cardinal Zuppi and Archbishop Gallagher
The missions of the Vatican representatives, initiated during the previous pontificate and renewed with fresh energy by Leo XIV, included visits to Kyiv and Moscow last summer.
Four journeys were filled with meetings with government representatives and pastoral visits. In the case of Cardinal Zuppi, the program also included a visit to a Russian penal facility holding Ukrainians captured on the battlefield.
As Archbishop Shevchuk emphasized, this was the first time an international institution representative managed to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia. “This is a sign that no one is forgotten. God remembers everyone. And the Mother Church is making efforts to ensure that all our prisoners of war and individuals unlawfully held as hostages are released as soon as possible,” the archbishop said.
He also recalled Archbishop Gallagher’s words spoken in Moscow that this war cannot be resolved militarily, which is why it is necessary to create conditions to initiate a political and diplomatic process.
Concerns over the approaching winter
During the conversation in the Library of the Apostolic Palace, reference was also made to the challenges Ukraine will face during the upcoming winter, characterized by low temperatures and infrastructure destruction caused by bombardments.
The archbishop asked the Pope for the support and solidarity of the international Catholic community during this difficult period for the Ukrainian people.
Answering this appeal will be the visit of Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, papal almoner and prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, scheduled for October 27–30. The prelate will bring food, medicine, and other essential supplies to Ukraine, and above all, convey expressions of closeness from Leo XIV. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is actively involved in this mission.
Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Regarding the activities of the Church he leads, Archbishop Shevchuk informed the Pope about the recent Synod of Bishops, dedicated to vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
As he explained, the meeting was an opportunity to re-emphasize the necessity of caring for vocations amidst the demographic and humanitarian crisis caused by Russian aggression.
“Thank you for your testimony”
As Archbishop Shevchuk reported, Leo XIV thanked them for the special testimony of faith given during the war by the bishops, priests, monks, and faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
The Major Archbishop assured the Pope of the prayers and spiritual support of all Ukrainian Greek Catholics during his recovery period following lung surgery.
Gifts
Archbishop Shevchuk brought numerous gifts from Kyiv. Among them were a postage stamp and a thematic booklet from Vatican City State dedicated to three significant events in the life of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. The issue was prepared in cooperation with Vatican Post.
The Pope also received a special postage stamp featuring his own image, issued in Ukraine. As Archbishop Shevchuk explained, it is “an expression of gratitude to the Holy See for its humanitarian mission.”
The gifts also included a photo album titled “Pilgrims of Hope,” dedicated to the meeting between the Ukrainian community and the Pope, as well as the book “Hemingway Knows Nothing” by Artur Dron, a veteran of the Russia-Ukraine war.
Previous meetings
The first official meeting between Leo XIV and Archbishop Shevchuk took place on May 15, 2025, when the newly elected Pope received the Major Archbishop in the Apostolic Palace.
On June 28, the Holy Father went to St. Peter’s Basilica to participate in the Jubilee celebrations of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. At that time, looking at the children, the elderly, married couples, and above all the mothers of soldiers who fell on the frontline, he expressed his pain over the “senseless war.”
On February 12, 2026, another private audience took place in the Apostolic Palace. On that occasion too, Archbishop Shevchuk handed the Pope a list containing 400 names of prisoners of war.
The Archbishop then returned to the Vatican for a summit organized on the tenth anniversary of the publication of the exhortation “Amoris laetitia,” to which heads of Eastern Catholic Churches were also invited.
