John Kerry marked the huge Ukrainian Churches peacekeeping role during the Revolution of dignity

Friday, 07 March 2014, 13:25

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry today, March 4, during his official visit to Kiev, met with the representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, during which marked a huge Ukrainian peacekeeping role of religious environment during the events on Independence Square.

See also:

Welcome to Kyiv: The Head of the UGCC met with the US ambassador to Ukraine
Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with the Ukrainian Community of Washington
Appeal of His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the Sons and Daughters of the Ukrainian People in Ukraine and Abroad, and to all People of Good Will

The meeting of Secretary of State with religious leaders took place in Instytuts’ka Street, where they came together to lay flowers and commemorate the fallen of Heaven’s Hundred.

Also, John Kerry, along with the representatives of the Ukrainian Churches walked along the barricades of Maidan. On the barricades there were a lot of ordinary people, whom the U.S. official directly communicated with. People had the opportunity to express their views on what happened in Ukraine in the last three months, and especially 18-20 February, when nearly a hundred of innocent people perished.

The Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) thanked John Kerry for coming to Ukraine and asked for international support for the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government. While communicating with Secretary of State, His Beatitude remarked that the fact of his presence now in Kyiv and especially at Maidan is very important for the Ukrainians.

At the meeting with Secretary of State there were representatives of the Jewish, Muslim communities and Christian Churches of Ukraine. The Head of the Church has asked American officials to note that in Ukraine there is no interfaith or interethnic conflict. John Kerry answered: "Yes, I see it."

Secretary of State John Kerry also marked huge peacemaking role of churches in Ukraine. "He said that in the period that Ukraine experienced recently, Ukraine Churches showed themselves as very important and active in ensuring peace and harmony in Ukraine between different churches in different parts of Ukraine and various peoples who inhabit our country", - told the Head of the Church.

Photos: gazeta.ua

Department of Information UGCC