Zelensky personally presented the Order of Merit to the hierarchs of the UGCC

Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally presented a high state award – the Order of Merit, First Class – to the head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese of the Ukrainian Catholic Church and president of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Borys Hudziak. The awarding ceremony was held within the framework of the implementation of the presidential decree signed in the summer of 2025, which also marked another representative of the Uniate Church – Volodymyr Kovbich.

According to the Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU), citing the press service of the UCU, the decree of the President of Ukraine № 617/2025 “On awarding state awards of Ukraine” was signed in the summer of 2025. According to the document, two representatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church were honored with state awards. In particular, Borys Gudziak, head of the Philadelphia Archdiocese of the UGCC, was awarded the Order of Merit of the I degree, and Volodymyr Kovbich received the Order of Merit of the III degree.

The presidential decree emphasizes that the awards were presented to Borys Hudziak and Volodymyr Kovbich “for their significant personal contribution to strengthening interstate cooperation, support of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, charitable activities, popularization of the Ukrainian state in the world”.

We shall remind you that earlier we reported that the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine held a meeting with representatives of churches and religious organizations on cooperation and activities of private educational institutions. The main focus was on the establishment and operation of schools and kindergartens founded by religious communities, as well as their integration into the national education system. At the same time, particular success in this process was noted by Catholic communities.