We count on you, Ukrainians, Secretary General of (CCEE) during his visit to Kyiv
The visit of the Secretary General of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE) to Ukraine, Monsignor Duarte da Cunha, is underway. The visit takes place on the initiative of Monsignor Duarte at the invitation of Bishop Bohdan (Dzurakh), Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC.
According to the Department of Information of the UGCC, on May 12, the guest had a working meeting with Hanna Hopko, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Affairs. They spoke about the socio-political situation in Ukraine, in particular the challenges associated with military aggression in eastern Ukraine and the role of the Churches in solving humanitarian issues caused by the war. The Secretary General of the CCEE assured of the continued solidarity of the Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Europe with the people of Ukraine and expressed admiration for the sacrifices and determination to protect the Christian and universal human values that found their manifestation in the Revolution of Dignity.
Hanna Hopko emphasized the important role of the "Pope for Ukraine" Initiative, which involved Catholic parishes throughout Europe and which provides real aid to people affected by war in Ukraine. She called for further support in the liberation of Ukrainian prisoners, the observance of the rights of religious communities in the occupied territories, as well as the reporting of the truth about the events in Ukraine to Western politicians and societies.
The parties devoted an important part of the meeting to the issues of protecting traditional values, promoting the family and reconciliation process, and overcoming the consequences of severe injuries experienced by combatants and residents of the territories adjacent to the hostilities zone. Remembering the 85th anniversary of the Holodomor, Hanna Hopko mentioned Portugal's gesture of appreciation and gratitude, which, last year, recognized the Holodomor as a genocide against the Ukrainian people. For his part, the Secretary General of the CCEE, a Portuguese national, noted that despite this act, Europe still faces a great lack of objective knowledge of this tragedy of the Ukrainian people.
At the end of the meeting Fr. Duarte da Cunha expressed his belief that Ukraine should not be allowed to become a victim of the cynicism and selfishness of the rich and powerful of this world, while at the price of such incredible sacrifices it protects values that are important for the whole European community. "We are counting on you, Ukrainians,” - Fr. Duarte da Cunha said at the end of the meeting – “that you not only defend, but also distribute the values in Europe.”
On the same day, a guest from the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe met with Bishop Vitaliy Krivitsky, Ordinary of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine
