Ukraine: President thanks Holy See for help in release of two priests

Fr Levystky and Fr Geleta before their release. Image: Redemptorists

Source: Vatican News, Redemptorists

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have expressed gratitude to the Pope and Vatican diplomacy for their "invaluable contribution" in the release of ten Ukrainian prisoners by Russian forces, including two Redemptorist priests, Fathers Ivan Levytskyi and Bohdan Heleta.

The ten individuals were released by Russia in a prisoner exchange with Ukraine. Fr Levytskyi and Fr Heleta were arrested on November 16, 2022. For a long time there was no news of their whereabouts.

Announcing the release of this group in a post on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote: "I am grateful to everyone who helped. I thank our team working to free the prisoners. I also want to acknowledge the efforts of the Holy See in bringing these people home."

The primate and head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, echoed similar sentiments, thanking Pope Francis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the entire Vatican diplomatic corps for their efforts. Special thanks were also expressed to Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who had repeatedly called for the release of the two clerics, and Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the apostolic nuncio in Ukraine. Each of them, as noted in a communiqué from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, made an invaluable personal contribution to make the liberation of the prisoners possible.

The communiqué said that Fathers Ivan Levytskyi and Bohdan Heleta had chosen to stay with their community in the temporarily occupied territories, ministering to both Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic communities. They were arrested on charges of possessing weapons. It was only recently, that Major Archbishop Sviatoslav received confirmation that the two Redemptorists were still alive.