On the first day after Easter, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with members of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, extended holiday greetings, and thanked them for their important support for Ukrainian warriors and all Ukrainians during this difficult time.
“I believe it is right that we have such a Council of Churches, that we meet, support all believers, and stand together. This is especially important during wartime. I want to thank you for the fact that our Council of Churches, like every person in our state, is working toward victory – supporting our warriors, civilians, and all the people of Ukraine who need your support, your prayers, your words, your outreach,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.
Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience Viktor Yelensky noted that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations.
Chairman of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, Bishop of the Trans-Carpathian Reformed Church Sándor Zán Fábián thanked the President for recognizing the role played by the clergy throughout the years of the war.
“It is very important that all religious organizations and churches are able to support our people and strengthen our society. The resilience of our people depends on spiritual strength,” Sándor Zán Fábián said.
Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine Epifaniy thanked the state for consistently finding solutions to important issues affecting religious communities.
“We believe that we will continue to cooperate closely for the benefit of our Ukrainian state. In this difficult time, the state, society, and Ukrainians need our spiritual support,” he noted.
Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Sviatoslav Shevchuk emphasized the Council’s advocacy efforts, noting that every parish worldwide where Ukrainian clergy and communities are present serves as an advocate for Ukraine.
“The message we convey to the world is very clear: today, a free Ukraine means religious freedom. For us, Greek Catholics, this is a very clear testimony, as this year we mark 80 years since the liquidation of our Church by the Stalinist regime,” Sviatoslav Shevchuk stressed.
Ordinary of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine Vitalii Kryvytskyi noted that the clergy have their own programs to support Ukrainian families, and these efforts should be scaled up.
“We are ready to partner with the state in this. Together, we will achieve much more, and Ukraine will endure not only during the war but also in the post-war period,” Vitalii Kryvytskyi said.
Head of the All-Ukrainian Union of the Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists Valerii Antoniuk emphasized the importance of further developing military chaplaincy and conveyed a proposal to establish a national Day of the Military Chaplain.
“We regularly visit the frontline, speak with our warriors, and meet with chaplains. Visiting our units, we see how important it is to support the spirit of our warriors, our defenders,” Valerii Antoniuk noted.
Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Pentecostal Church Anatoliy Kozachok emphasized that religious organizations are ready to cooperate in supporting Ukrainians in overcoming stress and psychological trauma.
“There is a tradition among some leaders of churches and religious organizations: we visit the frontline as interfaith groups. This is very important for our warriors, because they see interchurch unity,” Anatoliy Kozachok said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that all the issues raised during the meeting will be reviewed by the relevant state authorities.
“It is important to continue in this unity. The requests are clear, and we will review everything. Wherever we can strengthen support for our people and our military – I support moving forward on this,” the Head of State concluded.