On August 27, 2024, Metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine, welcomed Carlo Formosa, the Ambassador of Italy to Ukraine, to his residence, the Metropolitan House.
During their meeting, Metropolitan Epifaniy and Ambassador Formosa addressed several issues of mutual concern. They discussed Ukraine’s ongoing battle against full-scale Russian aggression, the religious landscape in Ukraine, church-state relations, the persecution and human rights abuses in temporarily occupied territories, the detrimental “Russian world” ideology, and the importance of international support for Ukraine.
Metropolitan Epifaniy highlighted that Moscow is leveraging all possible means to inflict maximum harm on Ukraine, including in the spiritual domain. He emphasized that the state faces these challenges because it perceives a significant threat to national security from the enemy’s use of religious organizations.
The Metropolitan also requested continued support for Ukraine and urged all Christians in Italy to pray for the country.
“I extend my gratitude to the people and government of Italy for the assistance already extended, which we greatly appreciate during this challenging time. The Lord supports those who stand for truth, justice, and goodness. Thus, we are confident that we will prevail, and we will prevail together,” concluded the Head of the OCU.
Source: pomisna
