The Vatican and Catholic media outlets are calling for the release of a mobilized MGKE clergyman

The international community and church organizations have protested the forced mobilization by TCC personnel of Andriy Stebivka, a 38-year-old cleric of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese (MGKE). Despite diplomatic efforts by the Vatican and the presentation of documents confirming his ordination, the MGKE cleric was assigned to an assault unit to be sent to the front lines.

According to EWTN News, the incident occurred at a checkpoint in the Rivne region. Stebivka was returning from a spiritual retreat when he was detained by TCC officers. Due to an administrative delay in his transfer to a new parish, his information was temporarily missing from the state registry confirming his status as a clergyman. The military ignored the documents presented and sent the cleric to a training center.

The Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese is an autonomous entity directly subordinate to the Vatican. Theodore Matsapula, the hierarch of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese, together with the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine, sent official appeals to the authorities demanding that Stebivka be allowed to resume his parish duties; however, these requests went unanswered. Due to the real threat to their son’s life, the cleric’s parents appealed to civil, military, and diplomatic authorities, urging them to allow him to continue his ministerial service.

As a reminder, we previously reported that Sergei Mikhailovich Bortnik, a professor at the Kyiv Theological Academy (KTA), was detained in Kyiv by TCC officers.