Head of UGCC Discusses Ukrainian-Polish Reconciliation and Church Cooperation with New President of Polish Episcopate
During his pastoral visit to Gdansk on November 9, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, met with Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, the newly elected President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference and Metropolitan of Gdansk. Bishop Arkady Trokhanovsky, Eparch of Olsztyn-Gdańsk of the UGCC, also attended the meeting.
On behalf of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav congratulated Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda on his election as head of the Polish episcopate and extended his blessings for his ministry.
The hierarchs discussed ways to strengthen cooperation between the Bishops’ Conference of Poland and the UGCC, particularly among the UGCC eparchies in Poland: the Przemysl-Warsaw Archeparchy, and the Wroclaw-Koszalin and Olsztyn-Gdańsk Eparchies.
The Head of the UGCC expressed gratitude to Polish Catholics for their solidarity with war-affected Ukrainians and for their open, sincere support of Ukrainian refugees. “Despite political speculation, Polish Catholics have not altered their opinion on Ukrainian refugees. We witness that this sincerity and openness persists,” the Primate emphasized.
The hierarchs also discussed the challenges faced by Ukrainians in Poland, including Ukrainian refugees, and the prospects for their future. Bishop Arkady briefed Archbishop Wojda on the current situation and needs of the Olsztyn-Gdańsk Eparchy and thanked the Metropolitan of Gdańsk for his support of Ukrainian communities, specifically for offering their churches for Ukrainian worship.
The issue of Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation was discussed separately. His Beatitude Sviatoslav recalled that on July 7, 2023, in Warsaw, he and Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, then President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, signed a joint appeal to the peoples of the two countries, in which they condemned the crimes of the Volyn tragedy and called for reconciliation. Archbishop Wojda assured that he would work towards strengthening this process. His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the UGCC in Ukraine is working to engage other Ukrainian churches in the reconciliation process, particularly through the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
He also spoke about the recent statement of the Council of Christian Churches of Ukraine on the proper commemoration of the victims of the Ukrainian-Polish armed conflict during World War II.
The parties agreed to continue and deepen cooperation between the Bishops’ Conference of Poland and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in particularly in the context of the activities of the UGCC dioceses in Poland.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the Polish bishops for their visit to Kyiv in May 2022. The delegation of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, according to him, became the first of the Catholic bishops of the world to visit the capital of Ukraine after the outbreak of a full-scale war.
The Head of the UGCC invited Archbishop Tadeusz to make a solidarity visit to Ukraine, to which the newly elected president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference readily agreed.
The hierarchs also discussed plans to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the first coronation of Polish kings in Gniezno in 2025. His Beatitude Sviatoslav assured that the UGCC will actively join this celebration, which will be an important moment for cooperation between the Polish and Ukrainian Churches, as well as for cementing relations between the two peoples.
The UGCC Department for Information
