Vatican City: Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has presented Pope Leo XIV with a list of hundreds of Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia, while expressing gratitude for the Pope’s efforts to promote peace and support people affected by the war.
During their meeting at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Shevchuk also conveyed the prayers and appreciation of the Ukrainian people. He thanked the Pope for the Holy See’s humanitarian work to secure the release of prisoners, help Ukrainian children return home and assist civilians facing severe hardship.
The meeting marked the fifth encounter between Pope Leo XIV and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic leader. Shevchuk particularly welcomed the Pope’s recent telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which Leo appealed for a truce in the Russian occupied city of Oleshky.
Civilians in Oleshky are facing critical shortages of food, water and medicine. Shevchuk thanked the Pope for drawing attention to what he described as a humanitarian catastrophe in the city.
He also expressed appreciation for the Holy See’s continuing diplomatic efforts to reduce civilian suffering and bring home Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians detained by Russia.
The humanitarian mission, first launched under Pope Francis and continued by Pope Leo XIV, has involved Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations.
Last summer, the two Church representatives made four visits to Kyiv and Moscow, meeting political and religious leaders. Cardinal Zuppi also visited a Russian detention facility holding Ukrainians captured on the battlefield.
Shevchuk highlighted the significance of this visit, describing it as the first time a representative of an international institution had been able to visit Ukrainian prisoners of war in Russia.
He said the visit demonstrated that the prisoners had not been forgotten. He also stressed the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s commitment to securing the release of prisoners of war and people detained unlawfully.
Shevchuk recalled Archbishop Gallagher’s message in Moscow that the war could not be resolved through military means alone. He emphasised the need to create conditions for political dialogue and diplomatic negotiations.
During their discussion in the Apostolic Palace library, Shevchuk also outlined the difficulties Ukraine faces as winter approaches. Continued bombardment has damaged the country’s infrastructure, increasing the challenges facing communities as temperatures fall.
He appealed for solidarity and support from the international Catholic community during this difficult period.
Further assistance is expected later this month when Archbishop Luis Marín de San Martín, the Papal Almoner and Prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity, visits Ukraine from October 27 to 30. He will deliver food, medicine and other essential supplies while conveying Pope Leo XIV’s closeness to the Ukrainian people. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is closely involved in the mission.
Shevchuk also briefed the Pope on the Church’s latest Synod of Bishops, which examined vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. The Synod reaffirmed the importance of encouraging religious vocations amid the demographic and humanitarian challenges caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
According to Shevchuk, Pope Leo thanked the bishops, priests, monastics and faithful of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church for their witness of faith throughout the war. Shevchuk, in turn, assured the Pope of the Ukrainian Greek Catholics’ prayers and support as he continues recovering from thoracic surgery.
The meeting also included the presentation of several gifts from Kyiv. These included a Vatican City postage stamp and an accompanying booklet commemorating three important events in the history of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, produced in cooperation with the Vatican postal service.
Shevchuk also presented a special Ukrainian postage stamp featuring Pope Leo XIV. He said it had been issued to express gratitude to the Holy See for its humanitarian mission. Other gifts included a photographic album titled Pilgrims of Hope, commemorating the Ukrainian community’s meeting with the Pope, and Hemingway Knows Nothing, a book by Arthur Dron, a veteran of the Russian Ukrainian war.
Pope Leo XIV first met Shevchuk officially on May 15, 2025, shortly after his election. On June 28 that year, the Pope attended the Jubilee celebration of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at St Peter’s Basilica, where he expressed sorrow over the war and its impact on Ukrainian families, including mothers whose sons had died on the front line.
During another private audience on February 12, 2026, Shevchuk presented the Pope with a list of 400 prisoners of war. He later returned to the Vatican for a summit marking the tenth anniversary of Amoris laetitia, which brought together the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches.