Head of UGCC Commences Official Visit to France
On October 28, 2024, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, arrived in Paris on an official visit. He is visiting Paris until November 5 at the invitation of the French Bishops’ Conference (CEF) to bolster support for Ukraine.
At Charles de Gaulle International Airport, His Beatitude Sviatoslav was met by the President of the Conference of Bishops of France, Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, Rt. Rev. Hlib Lonchyna, Apostolic Administrator of Saint Volodymyr-Le-Grand de Paris, Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, head of the charitable organization “L’Œuvre d’Orient,” Fr. Hugues de Woillemont, Secretary of the Conference of Bishops of France, and representatives of the Ukrainian community. The Primate is accompanied by the head of the Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome, Fr. Andriy Soletsky.
On the first day of the visit, His Beatitude Sviatoslav is due to meet with President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron and Bruno Retailleau, Interior Minister. The Interior Ministry oversees relations between the state and religious organizations through the Central Bureau of Cults.
The Head of the UGCC is also to meet with Archbishop of Paris Laurent Ulrich and the clergy of the Paris Archdiocese, Apostolic Nuncio to France Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, and partners from the charitable organization “Œuvre d’Orient.”
The program of the visit envisages a speech by His Beatitude Sviatoslav at an academic conference organized by the Bernardine College, the Paris Catholic Institute and the Paris Faculty of Loyola University.
A string of meetings within the Conference of Bishops of France is planned, culminating in His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s speech on November 5 at the opening of the autumn plenary assembly in Lourdes. Following his address, he will preside over the Divine Liturgy for about 120 French bishops.
As part of the Ukrainian visit, His Beatitude Sviatoslav is expected to meet with the Ambassador of Ukraine to France, Vadym Omelchenko, and with leaders of Ukrainian associations. On November 1, he will celebrate the Divine Liturgy at St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral and meet with the faithful. He will also preside over the Divine Liturgy at the Eparchial House in Vincennes and gather with priests of the Eparchy from five different countries.
On Sunday, November 3, following a solemn ceremony honoring the victims of the Holodomor at the Arc de Triomphe, His Beatitude Sviatoslav will lead the Divine Liturgy at the church of Saint-Sulpice, where prayers will be offered for the victims of the Holodomor and the ongoing war, as well as for a just peace.
The UGCC Department for Information
