Head of the UGCC: There is a growing belief in Ukrainian society that the Pope's visit can stop the war

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), Sviatoslav Shevchuk, has said that there is a significant increase in the belief in Ukrainian society that a potential visit of the Pope to Ukraine could become a decisive factor in ending the war. He emphasized that this request comes from the most diverse segments of the population, despite the absence of official plans for such a visit.

It is reported that Sviatoslav Shevchuk, answering questions from Ukrinform journalists, noted that although there is no information about the planned visit of the pontiff in the near future, the desire for it is clearly heard throughout the country. “Whoever comes to Rome from Ukraine, everyone says the same thing: the pope must come. And it is important that this is said by people from very different circles, who definitely did not conspire among themselves,” he was quoted as saying.

The Primate of the UGCC emphasized that the people have a deep spiritual conviction that the Pope’s arrival could be a turning point to end the conflict. He called it not naiveté, but an “inner intuition of faith,” known in theology as sensus fidelium – the sense of faith of God’s people.

Recalling Pope John Paul II’s visit to besieged Sarajevo during the war in the former Yugoslavia, Shevchuk characterized that step as “courageous and prophetic.” He expressed confidence that today’s Ukraine is able to ensure the pontiff’s security no worse than it was possible in Bosnia in the 1990s.

At the same time, the head of the UGCC noted that any visit of the Pope requires a long and serious preparation, recalling that the arrival of John Paul II in Ukraine was prepared for almost a year. “We realize that the bar was set very high then, and every next visit will be compared to that one. Therefore, we want the possible arrival of the Pope in Ukraine to be no less profound and significant”,– summarized Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

We will remind, earlier the head of the UGCC Sviatoslav Shevchuk said that Russian propaganda in the Vatican is real and effectively works through official diplomatic channels. He stressed that the Holy See “for a long time did not realize the depth and scale of manipulations carried out even at such a high level, since diplomacy is traditionally built on trust”.