“When there is a lack of dialogue “Neither fear nor aggression Patriarchal Visit to Australia of between the government and people, nor anger was ever helpful in His Beatitude Patriarch public prayer is essential: prayer for determining our future.” peace in our country, for an end to [Kyiv, Jan 2014] Sviatoslav Shevchuk violence and to attempts to trample the dignity and constitutional rights of Ukrainian citizens.” [Kyiv, Jan 2014]

Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

“Treating one another with love, with compassion, with “God is supposed to be with those who dignity: that is what breeds are persecuted, who are beaten, who dignity.” “It takes deep spiritual equanimity to are left without consideration. That [Toronto, May 2014] is why from the beginning our priests be able to stand ready to defend one’s were with our people in the middle of homeland without allowing one’s that square (the Maidan). heart to be polluted by hatred for “Violence was never the other nations.” way to build a free and In the same way clergy from many [Toronto, May 2014] Churches, not only from our Church, independent state. Bloodshed were there in order to protect their will never reconcile hearts or people and to be peacemakers in the Patriarchal Visit to Australia bring a positive outcome.” midst of that tense protest.” [Kyiv, Jan 2014] [Kyiv, Feb 2014] September 2014 In March 2011, at the age of 40, Sviatoslav Sviatoslav Shevchuk was born May 5, 1970 From 2002 to 2005 Father Sviatoslav Shevchuk was elected Major Archbishop and in Stryi, Ukraine. Shevchuk served as personal secretary to Patriarch of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic His Beatitude Lubomyr Cardinal Husar, head He began his religious education in 1991- Church. of the Patriarchal Curia in Lviv. 1992 at the Don Bosco theological seminary Despite its forced dissolution at gunpoint in Buenos Aires, then at the Lviv Theological After his Episcopal ordination on April 7 under Soviet rule in 1946 and subsequent Seminary from 1992 to 1994. 2009, he became bishop to the Ukrainian half-century of struggle as the largest Catholic diaspora of Argentina, and worked Following his ordination to the priesthood on “banned” church in the world, the Ukrainian closely with Latin-rite Archbishop Jorge Mario June 26, 1994, Father Sviatoslav studied at Catholic Church has survived and is now Bergoglio, now better known as His Holiness the Papal University of St. Thomas Aquinas being re-invigorated under Patriarch Pope Francis. in Rome, where he received his doctoral Sviatoslav’s leadership. degree summa cum laude in theological anthropology. His research concerned the moral roots of theology in the Byzantine theological tradition.

The church today is the biggest Eastern Catholic Church in the world with more than 5.5 million faithful. After almost half a century of persecution under Soviet rule, the Church has resurfaced as one of the pillars of In March 2010, Bishop Sviatoslav became national identity in Ukraine. Apostolic Administrator of the Eparchy of Buenos Aires and held that role until his Throughout the current political and social From 1999 to 2009 Father Sviatoslav installation as Patriarch in March 2011. turmoil in Ukraine, Patriarch Sviatoslav has served as prefect, vice rector and rector of called for peace. He has brought together Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv. In 2001 he His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s native language political and social figures to assist in was appointed vice-dean of the theology is Ukrainian. He is fluent in many languages developing the dialogue necessary for a department at the Lviv Theological Academy including English, Italian, Polish, Russian, peaceful solution. (now the Ukrainian Catholic University). Spanish and Portuguese.