Archbishop Gallagher: Ukraine’s people inspire hope amid suffering

By Roberto Paglialonga – Kyiv

The final day of Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher’s mission to Ukraine was marked by a long journey: nearly 900 kilometres by road from Kyiv to Kraków, via Lviv. During his six-day visit to the country, which has been at war since 2014 and has endured Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations held numerous political, institutional, ecclesial and pastoral meetings.

The principal purpose of the journey was to take part in the celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Latin Catholic Church’s structures at the Marian Shrine of Berdychiv. The celebrations, attended by thousands of faithful, took place on Sunday, 19 July. Sent by Pope Leo XIV for this special occasion, Archbishop Gallagher witnessed firsthand the suffering and exhaustion of the people, but also their determination to rebuild, their deep longing for a just peace, and their desire to return as soon as possible to a life of normality.

Speaking with Vatican Media shortly before departing from Kraków for Rome, the Archbishop reflects on the experience, considers what more the Holy See can do to help the Ukrainian people, to foster conditions conducive to ending the hostilities, and to contribute to rebuilding a climate of reconciliation. He also shares the personal impressions that affected him most deeply.

Your Excellency, your pastoral and diplomatic mission to Ukraine, which began last Thursday, is now drawing to a close. It has been a series of very intense days and meetings. You first visited in 2022, only months after the outbreak of the full-scale war, and have now returned after more than four and a half years of conflict. What country have you found, and what sentiments have you encountered?

First of all, let me thank everyone who made this visit possible: above all the Lord, who guided us; then, of course, the Ukrainian authorities, who welcomed us at the border and did everything possible to facilitate our journey while ensuring our security; the Greek Catholic Church and the Latin Catholic Church; and naturally the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, together with his collaborators, who welcomed us and supported us throughout our stay.

As you mentioned, my visit had both a pastoral and a diplomatic purpose. Above all, I was sent to take part in the celebrations at Berdychiv, which also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the visit of Saint John Paul II. I found a powerful spirit of community and celebration, profound devotion, and an intensity of faith that leads people to turn ever more to God, imploring His help.

On the diplomatic side, we met with the authorities, including the acting Minister for Foreign Affairs and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and we heard many testimonies about the suffering endured by the population. There is no doubt about it: the exhaustion caused by this violence is clearly visible. At the same time, however, one encounters a determined and resilient people, fully aware of the many sacrifices made by their fellow citizens for the sake of their country.

What struck and moved me most was the courage of the people, their determination, and also their faith in God the Father. There is a firm resolve to live as normal a life as possible: to continue working, to care for their children, to look after the elderly, and to foster solidarity with those who have suffered under bombardment. I was deeply impressed by their nobility of spirit and by their determination to preserve their freedom and independence.

Archbishop Gallagher meets authorities in Lviv

On Sunday you presided at the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at the Shrine of Berdychiv. Thousands of people were present despite the difficulties of war and their own personal hardships. Many elderly people and persons with disabilities made the journey. What significance does this have at such a time?

It was moving to witness the depth of this people’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Berdychiv is a historic shrine that has welcomed pilgrims for generations. In times of trial and hardship, it offers them a rock on which to lean.

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It was especially important for them to gather there because, during recent years of war, it had not been possible to celebrate Mass outdoors in the shrine’s open grounds. The liturgy had to be confined to the church, where only a few dozen people could be accommodated. On Sunday, by contrast, thousands gathered joyfully on the lawn. They were grateful for the presence of a representative of the Pope, through whom they experienced the Holy Father’s closeness. At the same time, they were deeply focused on prayer and on their act of devotion to the Mother of God, filled with hope that her intercession may truly bring this terrible war to an end.

Young people donate an icon to the Archbishop during celebrations in Berdychiv

One of the most moving aspects of the mission was your visits to bombed sites, the Maidan memorial, and to people who have suffered the loss of loved ones or seen their homes destroyed. In 2022 you also visited Bucha, Irpin and Vorzel. How is it possible to endure all this for so long? In your homily at Berdychiv you spoke of the power of evil and the presence of the Evil One…

Faith has sustained these people. They are convinced—and they say so openly—that they are fighting not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe. I believe they feel they have no alternative. For them, this is a struggle for the very survival of their nation.

Of course, we know that there are differing views about certain historical issues underlying the positions of the parties involved. But the reality today is that this country simply wishes to continue being what it was before the war, and for that reason its people are prepared to suffer.

It is heartbreaking to see and to learn how many people have died, and to look at the photographs displayed on the memorials of those whose fate is still unknown—whether they are alive, or where their remains may be. It touches every heart.

Through these memorials, however, people wish to bear witness to the courage of the soldiers and to express solidarity with all those who suffer under bombs, missiles and drones. For those of us who live in peace, it is difficult even to imagine what it means to go to sleep each night not knowing whether you will wake up the next morning because of another bombardment, or to live every day wondering whether it might be your last. It is hard—almost impossible—to comprehend, and yet this is their daily reality.

Archbishop Gallagher visits the Maidan Memorial in Kyiv

What were the outcomes of your political and institutional meetings? And what challenges can the Holy See continue to address in concrete terms?

In our meetings with the authorities, we encountered profound gratitude for the Holy Father’s appeals and his words, and that is a source of encouragement for us. They feel supported by the closeness shown first by Pope Francis and now by Pope Leo.

This encourages the Holy See to renew its commitment to dialogue with the international community and with the Russian authorities, and to continue its humanitarian efforts, such as the mission entrusted to Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, who continues working for the return of children, prisoners and civilians.

For me, this has been a profoundly positive experience. Beyond the logistical effort and the long journey required to reach Ukraine, it has allowed me to touch the reality of today’s world with my own hands. We must remember that not everyone lives as we do in Italy or in my native England. There is a dark and troubling reality in our world today. We must not give in. In our own way, we too are called to strive, doing our part with the means available to us, in order to build peace.

Many people have asked you when the Pope will visit what Pope Francis often called “martyred Ukraine.” What answer can you give?

Almost everyone I met asked me that question. My answer is very simple. The Holy Father takes this invitation very seriously. For our part, we will continue to study the conditions necessary to determine the right time and the most appropriate way for such a visit to bear the greatest possible fruit for Ukraine and for peace in the world.

Do you see any hope that the parties might at least reach a ceasefire in the near future?

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During these days I have seen a strong determination on the Ukrainian side to work towards that goal. It is difficult for me to say whether this can be achieved in the immediate future, but we must continue to work in that direction.

At the same time, as we saw at the Shrine of Berdychiv—and as the history of this remarkable place of Marian devotion reminds us, renowned for many reported healings—we should never rule out the possibility of a miracle.

A moment of the celebration in Berdychiv

Finally, may I ask a more personal question? As you return home, what image will you carry with you? What memory will remain above all others?

Yes. It is the image of the apartment buildings and homes destroyed by bombardment. We visited one such neighbourhood in Kyiv, on Bratstva Tarasivtsiv Street, together with the local authorities and representatives of UNHCR.

It made me realise—and I experienced it personally—how different it is to see images on television, as we all do every day, and to stand physically in places where, only days earlier, families and ordinary people like ourselves had been living.

When you see around you the bewildered and desperate people who lived there and have lost everything—their faces, their expressions, and yet also the quiet hope for better days that still shines in their eyes—those are images that stay with you forever.

Buidlings in Kyiv destroyed by bombardments