The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), His Beatitude Svyatoslav, during a meeting on February 20 at the White House, told the head of the "Office of Faith" in the administration of the President of the USA, Poli White-Kane, about the persecution of Christians in the territories of Ukraine that are temporarily occupied by russia. This was reported by the UGCC.
This was reported by UGCC.
He noted that the UGCC delegation was the first Ukrainian delegation to have a conversation with the head of this newly established office. The delegation included bishops from the USA: Archbishop Boris Gudzyak, Metropolitan of Philadelphia; Bishop Pavlo Khomnytskyi of the Stamford eparchy; Bishop Venedykt Aleksiichuk of the Chicago Eparchy of Saint Nicholas; and Bishop Bohdan Danylo of the Parma Eparchy of Saint Josaphat.
The "Office of Faith" was created by the President of the USA, Donald Trump, on February 7 to support religious communities and protect religious freedom. Its mandate includes promoting the activities of religious organizations, assisting communities and prayer houses, as well as strengthening the protection of religious rights.
During the meeting, the head of the UGCC emphasized that in Ukraine, religious freedom is guaranteed for representatives of various faiths—Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims. However, the russian occupation jeopardizes these rights, and putin’s goal of restoring the Soviet empire means a return to repression and the destruction of churches.
"Obviously, we discussed the issue of religious freedom in Ukraine, particularly in the occupied territories. I provided a brief overview of the history of religious freedom in Ukraine after the collapse of the USSR and explained that for Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims, the existence of a Ukrainian state guarantees religious freedom. In contrast, a return to the Soviet Union, which putin seeks to restore, means a return to catacombs and the destruction of our church," stated His Beatitude Svyatoslav.
Members of the delegation also told White-Kane and her deputy Jennifer Korn about the restrictions on the activities of religious organizations in the occupied territories, the destruction of churches, and incidents of the kidnapping of priests and pastors who are held captive.
The head of the UGCC noted that, thanks to the mediation of the Apostolic See, priests Ivan Levytskyi and Bohdan Helet were freed, but many Protestant pastors remain captive, and there are no international structures that could actively defend their rights.
"Therefore, I became their advocate before the head of the office, asking for their release," he emphasized.
The bishops stressed that any peace agreement regarding the end of the war waged by russia against Ukraine must include guarantees for the protection of human rights, adherence to international law, and religious freedom.
They also discussed the activities of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, as well as humanitarian initiatives implemented by Ukrainian religious communities to support those affected by the war.
Poli White-Kane underscored the importance of the humanitarian work of religious organizations and expressed support for their efforts.
"We hope that now, with this office located directly in the White House, next to the President's Cabinet, the new administration’s attention to religious freedom, particularly in Ukraine, will be at the highest level," stated the head of the UGCC.
The bishops invited White-Kane to visit Ukraine. In response, she proposed to maintain communication between the UGCC and the "Office of Faith" and to provide additional information to convey to American society the understanding that the russian occupation is tantamount to religious persecution of all denominations.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the head of the UGCC presented Poli White-Kane with his book-interview "At the Foot of the Cross," co-authored with American Catholic journalist John Burger.
Author: Danylo Pievchev