Head of UGCC: We will do utmost to ensure that exchange of 'all for all' becomes Easter reality
Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) Sviatoslav Shevchuk in his video message called for the exchange of prisoners of war "all for all," in particular women, doctors and priests, the press service of the UGCC reports.
"We, Christians of Ukraine, realize that we will not be able to fully honor the Passion of our Savior, His wounds, if we do not serve and help those who suffer today, endure, who are literally in the hell of war, in particular in the hell of imprisonment and daily torture of Russian captivity," he noted.
The head of the UGCC added that the words of Pope Francis about the exchange of "all for all" "found a special response in the hearts of both Ukraine and Russia."
"And we want these words to become a call to concrete action," he emphasized.
In particular, the head of the UGCC called for the exchange of three categories of prisoners of war: women prisoners of war, medical workers and clergy.
Metropolitan Sviatoslav noted that "we will do everything in our power to ensure that all women prisoners of war are released. I want all women's organizations to hear me: religious, public, those that care about the dignity of women in the modern world, regardless of ideological direction. We will do everything so that the woman is released from captivity, either in Ukraine or in Russia, so that on Easter she returns to her family, home."
He also called on international organizations, in particular Doctors Without Borders, to make every effort to ensure that doctors return from captivity to their families and to fulfill their professional duties.
The head of the UGCC added that ten Ukrainian clergy are in Russian captivity and called to do utmost to ensure that they return to their communities and churches.
He also called for joint efforts to free all Ukrainian prisoners.
"We know that about 8,000 Ukrainian military personnel and 1,600 civilians are now in Russian captivity, in hellish conditions. We will do everything possible so that step by step the exchange of 'all for all' becomes an Easter reality," the Metropolitan emphasized.
