EU bishops to visit Ukraine

Bombed church - Image COMECE

Source: COMECE

A delegation of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), led by its President Mgr Mariano Crociata, will undertake an official visit to Ukraine from 16 to 18 July 2025. The visit aims to express COMECE's continued closeness with the people of Ukraine and solidarity with those affected by the ongoing Russia's war of aggression.

During the three-day visit, the COMECE delegation will meet with Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Church representatives in Ukraine, as well as with local political, humanitarian and academic stakeholders.

These encounters are intended to bear witness to the immense human suffering, manifested in thousands of civilians and soldiers being killed or wounded, in the disruption of family and societal life, as well as in the destruction of vital infrastructure across Ukraine.

The visit offers an opportunity to foster the relationship with the Roman and the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, who have recently both obtained an observer status in the COMECE Assembly.

The COMECE delegation will also address the situation of young Ukrainians, hearing about their daily struggles to realise their dreams and aspirations for the future amid the ongoing conflict.

COMECE will express gratitude for the tireless efforts of civil society and faith-based organisations in supporting those suffering from the war. In particular, the delegation will visit facilities providing psycho-social support to those who lost their family members, as well as institutions offering educational and cultural initiatives.

Experiences and testimonies from the grassroots will be collected to reinforce COMECE's advocacy tools in promoting a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine through its mission of dialogue with the institutions of the European Union.

In addition to Mgr Mariano Crociata, the delegation will include Fr Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary, and Marek Mišák, Adviser for EU External Relations.