The Archbishop of Madrid Receives Bishops from the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
On May 28, at the invitation of the Ordinariate for Eastern Catholics in Spain, the bishops who are members of the Permanent Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church met in Madrid with Cardinal José Cobo Cano, Archbishop of Madrid and Ordinary for Eastern Catholics in Spain.
This was reported by the press service of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
Participating in the meeting, in addition to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, were Metropolitan Borys Gudziak; Bishops Volodymyr Yushchak, Josafat Moschych, Bohdan Dzyurakh, Andriy Khimyak, and Stepan Sus. The Vicar General for Eastern Catholics in Spain, Fr. Andrés Martínez Esteban, also welcomed the Ukrainian bishops alongside the Cardinal.
During the meeting, the parties discussed pastoral care for Ukrainian faithful in Spain, the challenges associated with new waves of Ukrainian migration caused by the war, as well as the further development of cooperation between the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Catholic Church in Spain.
On behalf of the Ukrainian people, His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked Cardinal José Cobo Cano and the Catholic Church in Spain for their openness, support for Ukrainians, and assistance to Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Head of the Church also highlighted the fruitful cooperation with the Ordinariate, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. He particularly emphasized the importance of preserving the spiritual connection of Ukrainians living abroad with their Mother Church and motherland.
In turn, Cardinal José Cobo Cano spoke about pastoral care for migrants in Madrid and throughout Spain. He assured the Ukrainian community of continued support and of the further development of cooperation with the UGCC in the areas of pastoral care, social ministry, and the integration of Ukrainians into church life in Spain.
Metropolitan Borys Gudziak, along with Bishops Volodymyr Yushchak and Bohdan Dzyurakh, shared with Cardinal José their experiences of cooperation with Catholic Bishops’ Conferences in the countries where they serve—the United States, Poland, and Germany.
The meeting took place at the conclusion of the 16th (87th) session of the Permanent Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which was held in Madrid from May 25 to 28, 2026.
The UGCC Department for Information
