Ukrainian Catholic leader meets with White House official, discusses Russian persecution of Church (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, visited the White House on February 20 and met with Paula White, senior advisor to the White House Faith Office.

“Obviously, we discussed the issue of religious freedom in Ukraine, including the occupied territories,” said the Major Archbishop. “I provided a brief overview of the history of religious freedom in Ukraine following the collapse of the USSR and explained that for Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims alike, the existence of the Ukrainian state guarantees religious freedom.”

“Conversely, a return to the Soviet Union, which Putin seeks to restore, would mean a return to the catacombs and the destruction of our church,” he added.

Major Archbishop Shevchuk was accompanied by four Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops who minister in the United States.