Ukraine: Archbishop Gallagher calls for the conditions for a just peace

By Roberto Paglialonga – Lviv

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher has begun his visit to Ukraine as the Pope’s envoy for celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the Renewal of the Structures of the Latin Rite Catholic Church. As announced by the Secretariat of State on its X account, @TerzaLoggia, the main celebration will take place on Sunday, 19 July, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Berdychiv. The occasion also recalls the Apostolic Journey of Saint John Paul II to Ukraine in 2001.

Archbishop Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, arrived in Kraków, Poland, on Thursday, 16 July, before continuing by road to Ukraine together with the Apostolic Nuncio to Kyiv, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, as Ukrainian airspace remains closed because of the war. He will remain in the country until 21 July.

Crossing at Krakovets

At the Krakovets border crossing, where long queues of vehicles were waiting to enter and leave the country, the Vatican delegation was welcomed by Ukraine’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Andrii Yurash, and representatives of Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The delegation then travelled to Lviv, a city whose historic centre was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1998. Founded in 1256 by King Danylo of Galicia and named after his son Lev, the city has architectural and cultural influences from different periods of its history. Lviv has also been affected by Russian attacks during the war, most recently at the end of March 2026.

“Restoring peace to this part of Europe”

On Friday morning, Archbishop Gallagher was received by the Latin Catholic Archbishop of Lviv, Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki. At the archdiocesan curia, he met regional and municipal authorities.

“A just end to the war means restoring peace to this part of Europe,” Archbishop Gallagher said. He added that the Church and Pope Leo XIV “have not forgotten the suffering of the Ukrainian people and their sacrifices. We must create the right conditions for a just peace.”

At 9:00 a.m., a moment of prayer and silence was observed in the chapel for those who have lost their lives in the conflict. Across Ukraine, a nationwide minute of silence is held at the same time each day, a practice that began after the full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has since been formalised.

Visit to the Ukrainian Catholic University

Archbishop Gallagher then visited the Ukrainian Catholic University, which has approximately 30,000 students enrolled both on campus and online.

The university campus, established on land acquired in 1998, includes seven faculties and shelters that can also be used by residents of nearby neighbourhoods during attacks. Although the campus has not been directly struck, it has been affected by nearby bombardments. Two years ago, a missile landed a few hundred metres away, causing several deaths. Around forty members of the university community, including students and relatives, have lost their lives during the war.

“The war is here,” said the university’s president, Archbishop Borys Gudziak of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as he welcomed Archbishop Gallagher and presented the institution’s academic and social initiatives. Among them is a programme supporting people with disabilities, who are integrated into university life. Members of the Vatican delegation met with participants and heard about their experiences from Sister Maria Radist, who oversees the university college’s formation programme.

“Everyone is engaged in providing assistance and support,” Archbishop Gudziak said. “Students receive an integral education that includes service to others.”

Meeting with Major Archbishop Shevchuk

In the evening, after a stop at the Church of Saint John Paul II in Rivne, Archbishop Gallagher travelled to the Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv, where he was scheduled to meet the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

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