“It Is Very Important That Our People Do Not Feel Like Orphans,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav Tells Priests in Italy
Standing by Ukrainians in their time of trial, helping Ukraine get through the winter, and actively fostering vocations among young people were the priorities emphasized by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, during a meeting with the clergy of the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainian Catholics of the Byzantine Rite in Italy. The meeting took place on October 13 in Ariccia, near Rome.
The Head of the UGCC thanked the priests for their daily ministry to Ukrainians far from their homeland. He emphasized the importance of their presence alongside people who need support amid the war.
“Your work as priests, as those to whom our people can turn directly in their suffering, is vital. Therefore, my first words to you, dear fathers, as Head of the Church, are words of deep gratitude and respect for your work,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
According to him, even when priests cannot solve all the problems people bring to them, their ministry helps Ukrainians feel that they have not been left alone.
“We cannot solve everything, but it is very important that our people do not feel like orphans, especially when they are in a foreign land. When Mother Church is here to embrace her children, our people truly feel that the Lord God cares for them,” emphasized the Head of the UGCC.
Aid to Ukraine Ahead of Winter: Two Priorities
Speaking about the situation in Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav drew attention both to the scale of the suffering caused by Russian aggression and to the resilience of Ukrainians and their ability to build a future despite the war.
“When we speak about Ukraine, many people look at us as if we were some kind of wonder. According to various predictions, we should have ceased to exist long ago. And when we speak of our future, we challenge the assumptions of so many people. What is happening in Ukraine is, on the one hand, a great tragedy, a deep wound. But on the other hand, it is a constant miracle that the Lord God brings about in our history,” the Primate noted.
He paid special attention to preparations for winter amid systematic Russian attacks on energy and utility infrastructure. According to him, residents of large cities are particularly vulnerable, as the destruction of heating, water, and electricity supply systems could threaten thousands of lives.
“Our greatest concern is how to survive the coming winter. Unfortunately, the forecasts are rather daunting. This should not be a cause for panic, but it is a very clear challenge for which we must prepare,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized.
The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church asked priests to focus their parishes’ humanitarian initiatives on two basic needs: providing food and helping people meet their essential utility needs.
“If you are planning to organize humanitarian aid for Ukraine this winter, I strongly urge you to concentrate these resources on two basic needs: food and assistance with essential utility services. If these efforts are coordinated centrally, we can truly save hundreds, and perhaps even thousands, of people,” he emphasized.
The Primate explained that the relevant programs are being implemented by the Patriarchal Curia of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Patriarchal Foundation “Mudra Sprava,” both of which have experience in organizing humanitarian aid and establishing resilience centers.
Fostering Vocations Among Ukrainian Youth Abroad
Another task the Head of the UGCC has set for priests is to actively accompany young people as they discern a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life. The war, demographic changes, and the emigration of young Ukrainians, he said, call for new approaches to this ministry.
“The Lord God is sending young people who have left Ukraine specifically to you. I earnestly ask you: reach out to those young people who are searching for their path in life, and call them. Call young people to monasteries and seminaries. For if the Church does not call, no one will respond,” urged His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The Primate emphasized that the development of Church life requires new priests and that fostering vocations must therefore become one of the priorities of ecclesial communities.
“Creative pastoral work to foster vocations is imperative for our Church today. Our Church is growing very rapidly. We say that the harvest is ever greater, but the laborers are few; yet the Lord never ceases to call. It is only that we do not always know how to accept this gift,” noted the Head of the UGCC.
In this context, he drew attention to the need to develop seminary formation in Western Europe, where a significant number of young Ukrainians now reside.
The Apostolic Administrator of the Exarchate, Bishop Hryhoriy Komar, announced plans to open a Ukrainian seminary in Rome in 2027. According to him, the matter has already been discussed by the Exarchate’s College of Advisors. Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches, has also indicated that the seminary could begin operating next year. However, organizational work remains to be done, particularly preparing the premises and securing funding. Bishop Hryhoriy urged priests to begin identifying potential candidates now.
Caring for Priests Serving Outside Ukraine
During the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav also addressed the situation of Ukrainian priests serving abroad, particularly the possibility of granting clergy deferments from mobilization. He reported on the UGCC’s dialogue with Ukrainian government authorities aimed at developing an appropriate mechanism that would take the specific nature of their ministry into account.
The Primate assured the priests that the Church understands the difficulties caused by restrictions on their ability to travel to Ukraine and visit their families.
“I want you to know that our Church cares for you. We understand how difficult it is not to be able to go home to visit your family and loved ones. […] These are very challenging times, but we are working on it,” he said.
From the Exarchate’s Beginnings to Its Development
His Beatitude Sviatoslav described the meeting as historic, recalling his earlier meetings with Ukrainian priests in Rome, before the Exarchate was established, when they were seeking ways to organize Church life in Italy.
“What we could only dream of back then, what we strove for, God has granted us. The Exarchate exists. It is the youngest in our Church, yet at the same time it is a great gift from Pope Francis, a response to our requests and to the requests of our Synod,” noted the Primate.
He expressed gratitude for the development of Church structures in Italy, paying special tribute to the ministry of Bishop Hryhoriy Komar and the contribution of the first Apostolic Exarch, Bishop Dionisio Lachovicz.
On behalf of the clergy, Bishop Hryhoriy thanked the Head of the UGCC for his visit, support, and efforts to bear witness to the truth about the war before the international community. He also assured him that the communities were ready to join forces to help those affected: “We will do everything possible to assist our Church in Ukraine in its ministry of mercy.”
In closing, His Beatitude Sviatoslav presented the priests with photo albums commemorating the UGCC’s Jubilee Pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican on June 28, 2025, during which Ukrainian pilgrims met Pope Leo XIV for the first time.
Based on materials from the Communications Office of the Apostolic Exarchate in Italy
