Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, was nominated for a state award

Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), was awarded a state honor—the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 5th Class. The award ceremony took place with representatives of the country’s top leadership in attendance.

According to , the UGCC press service reported that the award was presented in accordance with a decree issued by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on June 26, 2026. The state award was granted for his significant contribution to strengthening Ukrainian statehood, the courage he demonstrated in defending the country’s sovereignty, and his substantial contribution to the development of public life.

Upon receiving the order, Sviatoslav Shevchuk expressed his gratitude to government officials. He emphasized that this award is a recognition of the entire organization he leads, rather than his personal achievement. Following the official award ceremony, a working meeting was held between representatives of the Office of the President and the hierarchy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, during which the church’s “state-building role” in today’s reality was discussed.

As a reminder, earlier, Ukrainian People’s Deputy Solomiya Bobrovska called on Greek Catholics (Uniates) and representatives of other religious denominations to more actively support the OCU in the process of the so-called transitions of parishes from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) to the Ukrainian schism. The lawmaker expressed concern over the “stagnation” of the transition process and accused the OCU and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) of “insufficient efforts” in engaging with UOC believers.