Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin to meet with IDPs, leaders of the state and churches
Secretary of State of the Vatican Cardinal Pietro Parolin is to visit Ukraine from June 15 through June 20, 2016.
Secretary of State will visit Kyiv, Lviv and Zaporizhia and will meet Ukrainian politicians, leadership, clergy and faithful of the Churches and religious organizations, IDPs and other groups affected by war in eastern Ukraine.
His visit is a gesture of solidarity of the Vatican with Ukraine experiencing war.
"The Pope feels the suffering Ukrainian personally, he wants to be close to the victims of the war. This is the political choice of the Holy See - to be with those who suffer ", - said at a news conference last week, Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti.
In order to help victims Pope Francis announced in Catholic churches in Europe the special collection, which took place on 24 April. The special Committee, which will administer the collected funds, is created. Last week it was announced that the auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine Jan Sobilo will be the head of the Committee.
Official program
June 15-20, 2016
June 15, 2016 – Wednesday
17.15 Arrival to Kyiv KBP, Boryspil airport - Hall of official delegations.
Official greeting.
June 16, 2016 – Thursday. Zaporizhzhia
11.00 Meeting with IDPs patronized by Caritas-Spes in the sanctuary of God the Merciful Father
11.45 Meeting with the Committee "Pope for Ukraine"
15.00 Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the church, with the participation of parishioners and clergy of the diocese
15.30 Meeting with the Council of Churches. Speech. Meeting with journalists
16.30 Attending one of the Caritas Projects
June 17, 2016 – Friday. Kyiv
07.30 Holy Mass at St Alexander Cathedral. Brief sermon.
__.__ Meeting with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko
12.00 Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin
13.00 Meeting with the Speaker of Parliament Andriy Parubiy
16.00 A visit to the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Resurrection and meeting with IDPs. Short greeting
June 18, 2016 – Saturday. Lviv
09.00 Meeting with the head of Lviv state administration Oleh Syniutka
10.00 Solemn Holy Mass at the Roman Catholic cathedral of Lviv. Sermon
12.00 Meeting with the city mayor Andriy Sadovyj
13.00 Opening and blessing of Archdiocesan museum at the Roman Catholic Curia
15.00 Personal meeting with His Eminence Msgr. Milan Shashik, acting bishop of Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese
16.00 Consecration of the construction site of a new church dedicated to Pope John Paul II
17.00 Visit to UCU and Greek Catholic seminary. Meeting with seminarians. Speech
June 19, 2016 – Sunday. Lviv
11.00 Pontifical assisting at the Pentecostal Divine Liturgy at St George Greek Catholic Cathedral.
17.00 A visit to the Roman Catholic pastoral center in Bryukhovychi: Higher Theological Seminary, Institute of Theology, nursing home (under construction) Recollection Center
17.15 Meeting with seminarians. Speech
June 20, 2016 – Monday. Kyiv
09.00 Laying flowers at Maidan.
09.30 Monument to the Unknown Soldier. Guard of honor. Laying a wreath.
A visit to the museum of Ukrainian Famine. Laying a memorial basket.
13.00 Meeting with the poor
15.30 Meeting with the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches in St Sophia Cathedral. Speech. Press conference