Poroshenko prays with Uniates and calls Ukrainians to unite around UGCC

Poroshenko shakes hands with Shevchuk in the altar of a Uniate church. Photo: Poroshenko’s Facebook page

Former President Petro Poroshenko prayed with Greek Catholics during a pilgrimage in Stradch and called the UGCC “a Church which, in the most difficult times of our history, not only prays for Ukraine but also stands beside its people.”

Speaking about the Uniate service, Poroshenko said that “the final victory of good over evil always begins with unity.” According to him, “this unity did not appear by itself – it was built over years by people who never lost faith in Ukraine.”

During the service, the former president entered the altar and shook hands with the UGCC head.

Poroshenko expressed “deep gratitude to all the bishops, priests, and laypeople of the UGCC” for their service to Ukraine, separately mentioning Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

“In the hardest days of the war, your voice never fell silent when it came to truth, to the suffering of the Ukrainian people, to the condemnation of evil, and to the defense of human dignity,” he said.

Poroshenko stated that the Russian Federation seeks to “destroy us spiritually” and contrasted these attempts with the work of the UGCC.

“For us, it is important that the voice of the Christian world sound clearly and uncompromisingly,” he concluded.

As the UOJ previously reported, Poroshenko spoke about an earthly trinity during a service with Uniates.

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