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(OSV News) — Russian forces have driven out all Greek and Roman Catholic clergy from the occupied areas of Ukraine, said the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
“Our Church was liquidated in the occupied territories,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk in a June 25 interview with media outlet Ukrinform. “In fact, there is not a single Catholic priest in the occupied territories today — either Greek Catholic or Roman Catholic.”
As part of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — launched in February 2022, and continuing attacks initiated in 2014 — Russia has systematically suppressed a number of faith communities, including Catholic, Christian and Muslim. Churches and worship sites have been destroyed or seized, with clergy of various faiths imprisoned, tortured and in several cases killed.
Both priests had refused to leave their parishioners following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, which continued attacks launched in 2014 against Ukraine. Shortly after Father Levitsky and Father Geleta were captured, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said he had received “the sad news that our priests are being tortured without mercy.”
Father Levitsky and Father Geleta — both of whom had appeared gaunt and weary — were among 10 prisoners who had been returned to Ukrainian authorities on June 28. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized “the Holy See’s efforts to bring these people home.”
Continued below.
www.oursundayvisitor.com
“Our Church was liquidated in the occupied territories,” said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk in a June 25 interview with media outlet Ukrinform. “In fact, there is not a single Catholic priest in the occupied territories today — either Greek Catholic or Roman Catholic.”
As part of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine — launched in February 2022, and continuing attacks initiated in 2014 — Russia has systematically suppressed a number of faith communities, including Catholic, Christian and Muslim. Churches and worship sites have been destroyed or seized, with clergy of various faiths imprisoned, tortured and in several cases killed.
Release of captive Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests
Two Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests, Redemptorist Father Ivan Levitsky and Father Bohdan Geleta, were released from a year and a half of Russian captivity June 28, having been seized by Russian forces from their church in Berdyansk in November 2022.Both priests had refused to leave their parishioners following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, which continued attacks launched in 2014 against Ukraine. Shortly after Father Levitsky and Father Geleta were captured, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said he had received “the sad news that our priests are being tortured without mercy.”
Father Levitsky and Father Geleta — both of whom had appeared gaunt and weary — were among 10 prisoners who had been returned to Ukrainian authorities on June 28. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recognized “the Holy See’s efforts to bring these people home.”
Formal ban on the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Continued below.
'Not a single Catholic priest' left in Russian-occupied Ukraine
"Our Church was liquidated in the occupied territories," said Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk in a June 25 interview with media outlet Ukrinform. "In fact, there is not a single Catholic priest in the occupied territories today — either Greek Catholic or Roman Catholic."
www.oursundayvisitor.com
