March 26, 2020 Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church His Beatitude Sviatoslav met with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal’ at the premises of the Government Building of Ukraine
During the meeting, the Prime Minister of Ukraine thanked the Head of the UGCC for understanding the situation and important decisions in support of government initiatives aimed at minimizing the damage that this pandemic is capable of causing to our country.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav informed the Head of Government of the measures already taken in this situation. In particular, he informed about the creation of a coordination center for metropolitanates, eparchies, and exarchates of the Church and review of the possibilities that the Church can already offer for saving people, namely: rehab and medical centers, pastoral centers, educational institutions, and other property.
It was emphasized that the Church is already serving the community with medical chaplains and volunteers, and is ready to develop and coordinate this ministry appropriately in the new circumstances.
The Head of the UGCC thanked the state authorities for not banning the temples for prayer. The Primate noted that we are well aware of the need to comply with all sanitary regulations. In particular, he informed the Prime Minister that he had already given advice on how to serve Holy Week and Easter services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Head of Government thanked for such specific steps by the Greek Catholic religious community, in particular for a reasonable solution to the problem of celebrating Easter in a pandemic, which was also a challenge for the government.
At the end of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav stressed that it is important for the religious community, especially during this difficult time, to have constant communication and partnership with the state institutions. For it is only through the concerted efforts of both the government and civil society, of which the religious community is a part, that this difficult challenge can be countered. For this, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is ready to work together.
The UGCC Department for Information