His Beatitude Sviatoslav: Poles and Ukrainians are the people who have the future of our nations in their hands

This was emphasized by Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in an interview with the Catholic News Agency, speaking with Krzysztof Tomashik, editor of the KPA.

“For Ukrainians, the Poles are not foreigners, because we have lived in the same territory for centuries. The Poles should think the same way - that Ukrainians are not a foreign nation. In today's Poland there lives a Ukrainian minority and people who have recently come to work. We need to be aware of this new reality,” said the spiritual leader of the Greek Catholics.

According to him, the UGCC is doing everything possible to establish pastoral care for the Ukrainian migrants.

“First of all, our bishops and the clergy in Poland are trying to reach them. The presence of migrants is very dynamic and variable, some come for seasonal work, while others stay longer and often change places of residence and work. On the other hand, this search makes us more dynamic and outward looking. Through openness and willingness to care, we are becoming increasingly aware of how Ukrainians live in Poland, how they understand their religious identity, what church rites and spiritual traditions they belong to, and how they cultivate their national identity. Thanks to this, we can give them better pastoral care, despite the fact that we face great pastoral challenges,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

And later he added: “On the other hand, Ukrainians have the ability to integrate relatively quickly in the country in which they live, and they want to participate fully in her life at every level. Typically, migrants in western countries tend to lock themselves in the ghetto, do not integrate, form their own parallel micro world, and require state protection. In Poland, Ukrainians seem to try to participate fully in public life and do not resort to state aid. They want to earn decent and fair treatment. In this way, they contribute to the well-being of the country in which they live."

The UGCC Department for Information