Pope Leo receives Ukrainian Greek Catholic pilgrims in St. Peter’s Basilica

Pope Leo XIV received many pilgrims from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in St. Peter’s Basilica on a Saturday morning. The pilgrims had travelled to Rome for the Holy Year 2025.

The Ukrainian bishops, together with a large group of believers, passed through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. Grand Archbishop Svyatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych then presided over a Mass in the Byzantine rite.

Afterward, Pope Leo addressed the pilgrims and said he shared their grief “for the prisoners and victims of this senseless war that Ukraine has been living through for more than three years.” He said he entrusted their concerns, “your daily hardships and tragedies, and above all your longing for peace and serenity,” to the Lord.

The Pope said the pilgrimage was “a sign of the desire to renew your faith, to strengthen your attachment and communion with the Bishop of Rome, and to bear witness to the hope that is not disappointed because it was born of the love of Christ poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” He noted that the Holy Year, proclaimed by Pope Francis, invites believers to bear witness to hope throughout their lives, and he described the pilgrimage to Rome as “a symbol of this daily journey that extends to eternity.”

Leo also spoke of the Christian faith of Ukraine, which he called a “beautiful country.” He said that over its history the country had been shaped by the example of many saints and “drinked by the blood of so many martyrs who over the centuries have sealed their fidelity to the apostle Peter and his followers by the gift of their lives” (Hebrews 13:7).

The Pope encouraged the pilgrims to share their faith with everyone they meet and to make themselves available to God, following the example of the Virgin Mary, “to open new horizons of faith, hope and peace, especially to all who suffer.” Speaking of violence and war, which he acknowledged can raise doubts and questions for believers, he urged a trusting dedication to God. “Faith does not mean having all the answers, but trusting that God is with us and gives us his grace, that he will speak the last word and that life will overcome death,” he said. “Faith, my love, is a treasure to be shared.”

Finally, the Pope urged the pilgrims to walk together “with a view of Jesus our salvation.” He blessed the pilgrims, their families, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the whole country, and placed them under the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.

Source: Read the original report (translated from German)