UGCC Head Discusses Prospects of Church-State Partnership with Ukraine’s Minister of National Unity
On March 12, 2025, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, met with Oleksiy Chernyshov, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity of Ukraine, at the Patriarchal Residence in Kyiv. During the meeting, they discussed opportunities for developing partnership between the UGCC and the newly created Ministry of National Unity of Ukraine.
The meeting was attended by Bishop Stepan Sus, head of the Pastoral and Migration Department of the UGCC, Fr. Oleksa Petriv, head of the Department of External Relations of the UGCC in Ukraine, and members of the team of the Vice Prime Minister — Minister of National Unity of Ukraine: Halyna Lubkovych, Deputy Head of Service of the Vice Prime Minister — Minister of National Unity of Ukraine, and Oleksandr Malashko, Advisor to the Vice Prime Minister — Minister of National Unity of Ukraine.
Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov outlined the Ministry’s mission, its unique role, and key accomplishments in its first hundred days. He highlighted efforts to strengthen the unity of 60 million Ukrainians, both in Ukraine and abroad.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized the importance and feasibility of establishing such a ministry and underscored that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, being global in nature and state-building but not state-run in terms of its social activities, has always acted and will continue to act in favor of the unity of the Ukrainian people. “This effort is not spontaneous but systematic, rooted in the legacy of Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, and key UGCC documents, including His Beatitude Lubomyr Husar’s message ‘One People of God in the Land on the Hills of Kyiv’ and the ‘Ecumenical Concept of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’.”
The parties discussed opportunities and areas of cooperation for the unity of Ukrainians in Ukraine and overseas in the immediate and strategic perspectives.
At the end of the meeting, the parties exchanged memorable gifts.
The UGCC Department for Information
