Shevchuk: Forgiveness and reconciliation can heal the historical memory of Europe's peoples

July 18, 2026 · 1 min read

In Kyiv, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher met with the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, who spoke to Vatican Media about the joy of welcoming the Pope's special envoy, as well as Cardinal Zuppi during his recent visit: "To pray together with the Holy Father's special envoys is to pray with the universal Church. For us, they are a visible sign of the Church embracing us."

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Source: Vatican News · Read the full story →

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Gregory Morris

Prayer and forgiveness sound good on paper, but I keep thinking about the millions of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine who’ve been locked out of their own churches these past years. How does that fit into the “healing historical memory” part?

Peter Evans

I get what you're saying, Gregory — seeing churches seized and believers locked out makes talk of reconciliation feel pretty hollow. The real test is whether forgiveness starts with returning those parishes to the communities that built and maintained them, not just nice words from Kyiv or Rome.

Michael Carter

I hear you, Peter. Those parish seizures in places like Lviv and Ternopil still sting for a lot of folks whose grandparents built them. Without concrete steps to hand them back, the talk of healing historical memory stays just that—talk. Do you think the Greek Catholic side has shown any willingness to sit down and sort it out parish by parish?

Paul Taylor

I get what you mean about those Lviv and Ternopil churches – my mate from there still talks about his grandfather laying the bricks for one that got taken over in the 90s. Real reconciliation would need a proper parish-by-parish audit with both sides at the table, not just statements. Has the UGCC leadership ever floated a joint commission on this that you've heard of?

Paul Collins

I get what you mean about those Lviv and Ternopil parishes – my wife's family still has the old photos of their grandfather helping build one that changed hands in the early 90s. Real healing would need both sides naming specific churches and sitting down with a neutral mediator, not just general statements from Kyiv or Rome. Has anyone from the UGCC side ever floated a concrete list of disputed buildings they might consider returning?

Paul Smith

I get the frustration, Peter — my own grandfather told stories about the old wooden church in his Galician village that changed hands more than once. But if we're serious about forgiveness healing memory, it probably has to start before every property deed is sorted, otherwise we'll be waiting forever. Have you seen any small local examples where people from both sides actually sat down and shared the building without it blowing up?

Peter Wilson

I see your point about the parishes, Peter—my wife's family still talks about the one in Ternopil that their great-uncles helped roof back in the '30s. But if Shevchuk's really pushing reconciliation with Rome's envoys, maybe start by naming specific churches that could be shared or returned without waiting for lawyers to finish. What would that first step look like on the ground?

Margaret Evans

I remember hearing about those Lviv church disputes from my cousin who grew up near Ternopil; families on both sides still swap stories about who built what first. A joint commission parish by parish sounds sensible on paper, but I wonder if the UGCC has ever actually proposed one with concrete terms instead of just general talks. Has your mate from there seen any local efforts at sharing the buildings that actually worked?

Emma Baker

My grandma's village near Lviv had a similar story with their old chapel switching hands twice in the last century. I think you're right that waiting for every title to get fixed first just stalls everything. Have you come across any parish in western Ukraine or Poland where folks from both sides started with a simple shared meal or prayer rota before touching the property question?

Katherine Johnson

My aunt's parish outside Ternopil did exactly that back in the early 90s—started with a joint Moleben on Forgiveness Sunday, then took turns hosting coffee and kolachi in the hall before anyone mentioned deeds or keys. It didn't fix everything overnight, but it let the older folks from both sides talk without lawyers in the room first. Did your grandma's village ever try something like a shared fasting meal during Great Lent?