Head of UGCC awarded Cardinal Bassetti the Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head and Father of the UGCC, awarded the Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky to Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Archbishop Emeritus of Perugia, retired President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference. The ceremony of awarding the highest honor of the UGCC took place on Sunday, November 5, in the Cathedral of Città delle Piave (Umbria, Italy).
In his homily during the Holy Mass, Cardinal Bassetti extended his gratitude to the Head of the UGCC for “a fraternal visit to the city where I have lived for over a year. During my ministry as Archbishop of Perugia and President of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, I have strived to cultivate communion with you and the Church you lead.” Cardinal Bassetti recalled the charitable cooperation between Caritas Kyiv and Gomena, his visit to Ukraine in 2018, and the collaboration in many projects between the Italian Church and the UGCC.
After the service, His Beatitude Sviatoslav described the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and thanked the Italian people for their solidarity and openness to Ukrainian refugees.
The Decree of the Order specifies the merits for which Cardinal Bassetti received the highest honor of the UGCC: “For his zealous archpastoral ministry for the glory of God and the spread of the Kingdom of God; for his sacrificial assistance to persecuted Christians and poor Christian communities, promotion of dialogue and peace within the framework of the Mediterranean Encounters program; for his significant attention to the needs of Ukrainian migrants — the faithful of the UGCC in Italy; for a substantial contribution to the creation of the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians of the Byzantine rite in Italy; for solidarity with the Ukrainian people during the war of aggression against the Russian occupier, specifically for the creation of a center for receiving refugees from Ukraine, organizing humanitarian aid, and supporting social initiatives of the UGCC.”
The Order of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky as the highest award of the Father and Head was introduced by the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in 2018, “cherishing the memory of the righteous Metropolitan Andrey to honor certain individuals for special merits.”
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome,photo: Paolo Dzukenya
