Ukraine: COMECE witnesses scale of human loss during solidarity visit

COMECE President and General Secretary with Archbishop Mokrzycki at Lychakiv military cemetery in Lviv. Photo: COMECE

Source: COMECE

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

During the three-day visit to the region of Lviv, the COMECE delegation met with representatives of the Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, as well as with local authorities and members of the civil society and academia.

"Witnessing first-hand the wounds inflicted upon this land and its people by Russia's brutal war of aggression has profoundly moved us. We were deeply touched by the steadfast faith, courage and hope that animate local communities despite so many hardships. We wish to assure the Church and the people of Ukraine that they are not forgotten. The Church in the European Union stands with them in prayer, compassion and concrete solidarity", says Mgr Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, at the conclusion of the three-day visit.

While in Ukraine, the COMECE delegation was received by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Galicia and Primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and by HE Mgr Mieczysław Mokrzycki, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lviv.

These fraternal encounters offered a valuable opportunity to strengthen ties with the Greek and the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, both of which have recently been granted observer status within the COMECE Assembly. These meetings featured a reflection on the present and the future of Ukraine, as well as the contribution of Churches in accompanying the local population amid difficulties caused by war.

The delegation also visited the 'Lviv Centre for Services for Combatants', the 'Archdiocesan Psychological Centre', the 'Home for single mothers' and the 'Charity Dining Room'. Several of these institutions are concrete examples of the Church's tireless efforts on the side of the needy. Mgr. Crociata expressed deep gratitude for their service in supporting the most vulnerable, as they provide essential psycho-social support and offer educational as well as cultural initiatives.

The programme also included a special visit to the Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) where the COMECE delegation met with representatives from the Institute of Ecumenical Studies. In this context, also the situation of young Ukrainians was addressed. "In the tragedy of war, it is hopeful to see young people in Ukraine not giving up on their dreams and aspirations, despite their daily struggles", commented Mgr Crociata.

Several moments of prayer were held in memory of those who fell defending their homeland as well as all those who encountered death amid the ravages of war. The delegation concelebrated the Holy Mass in the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki and Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovskyi, President of the Roman Catholic Bishops' Conference in Ukraine, and the Divine Liturgy in the Byzantine Rite with His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk. The delegation also visited the military cemetery of Lviv, witnessing the scale of human loss caused by the Russian aggression.

As part of their programme, the delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the mayor of the city of Lviv, Mr Andriy Sadovyi, to learn about how Ukrainian public authorities are responding to the emergencies and dramatic events unfolding in the country.

With this visit, the EU Bishops renew their call to the European Union to remain firmly united in its commitment to supporting Ukraine and upholding the dignity and fundamental rights of all its people. In this respect, Mgr. Mariano Crociata calls upon EU leaders to "enhance all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, rooted in international law and the principles of justice".

Moreover, COMECE urges the institutions of the European Union to continue supporting Ukraine in its long journey of reconstruction and reconciliation, "so that justice, healing and peace may be firmly rooted in Ukrainian society and the wider European community", said Fr Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE.

He also encourages the EU institutions and Member States to "accompany Ukraine on its EU integration path, recognising the hopes and sacrifices of its people in their aspiration to belong to the European family".

Through this visit, COMECE collected insightful experiences and powerful testimonies from the grassroots, which will nurture COMECE's pertinent advocacy initiatives with the institutions of the European Union.

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, COMECE has repeatedly expressed its solidarity with the people of Ukraine and facilitated different formats of dialogue meetings between the EU and Ukrainian Churches.

The COMECE delegation was composed of Mgr Mariano Crociata (President), Fr Manuel Barrios Prieto (General Secretary) and Marek Mišák (Adviser for EU External Relations).