Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, recently met with two Redemptorist priests Frs. Bohdan Galeta and Ivan Levitsky, who were previously held in Russian captivity. During the meeting, the Cardinal conveyed Pope Francis’s deep concern and solidarity with those affected by the conflict in Ukraine. He emphasized the Pope’s continuous prayers and attention to the ongoing situation, expressing hope for a peaceful resolution. The encounter was a poignant moment, highlighting the suffering endured and the resilience of the Ukrainian people. Find below the article published on the Vatican website originally in the Ukrainian language.
On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the visit of Cardinal Pietro Parolin, State Secretary of the Holy See, who was in Ukraine as a special envoy of the Holy Father on the occasion of the final services of the pilgrimage in Berdychiv, ended. Before leaving the country, he met in Lviv with two Greek Catholic priests who were recently released from Russian captivity. This is stated in the official summary of the visit, published in the Vatican magazine “L’Osservatore Romano”.
After lunch, on July 23, Cardinal Parolin left Kyiv and on the way to Poland stopped in Lviv, where he met with the Redemptorist Fathers Bohdan Galeta and Ivan Levitsky, who were released from Russian captivity on June 28, 2024. In a fraternal conversation, the Messenger of the Holy Father inquired about the conditions of their imprisonment and their current condition, particularly their health. Both priests expressed gratitude for the prayers and tireless concern of the Holy Father and the Holy See for their fate.
Therefore, on Wednesday, July 24, after spending the night in the Apostolic Nunciature in Warsaw, the Secretary of State of the Holy See returned to the Vatican. The program of his visit, which lasted from July 19 to 24, included a short stop at the Curia of the Roman Catholic Metropolitan of Lviv, a visit to Odesa, a Holy Mass in Berdychiv on the occasion of the end of the pilgrimage of Ukrainian Catholics, a visit to the Greek Catholic Cathedral in Kyiv, a meeting with Supreme Archbishop of Kyiv-Halytskyi His Beatitude Svyatoslav Shevchuk, visit to the “Okhmatdit” pediatric hospital, meetings with government officials and religious leaders.
(www.vaticannews.va/uk)
