A high-level delegation of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations (UCCRO) at COMECE, June 2026. (Photo: COMECE).
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) welcomed a high-level delegation of the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organisations (UCCRO) to its Secretariat in Brussels on Tuesday, 23 June 2026.
The meeting provided a valuable opportunity to listen to the testimonies of Church leaders representing the diverse religious communities of Ukraine and to reaffirm COMECE’s unwavering solidarity with Ukraine and its people as they continue to endure the consequences of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression.
The delegation was received by H.E. Mgr. Kieran O’Reilly, President of the COMECE Commission on EU External Relations, together with Rev. Fr. Manuel Barrios Prieto, General Secretary of COMECE, Alessandro Calcagno, Assistant General Secretary, and Marek Mišák, Policy Adviser for EU External Affairs.
The exchange focused on the current situation in Ukraine, the challenges faced by Churches and religious communities amid the war and the continued efforts to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace rooted in international law and the principles of justice.
In the context of the recent opening of accession negotiations between the European Union and Ukraine, the meeting also offered an opportunity to reflect on Ukraine’s place within the European family and its future within the European Union. COMECE reiterated its call on the European Union and its Member States to continue accompanying Ukraine on its path towards EU integration, recognising the hopes, sacrifices and commitment of its people in their aspiration to become part of the European peace project.
Head of the UCCRO delegation, Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU), at COMECE in June 2026. (Photo: COMECE)
The visit marked the second encounter between COMECE and representatives of the UCCRO since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. A first delegation of Ukrainian Church leaders visited COMECE shortly after the outbreak of the war, providing first-hand accounts of the dramatic humanitarian and social consequences of the conflict.
Since then, COMECE has remained actively engaged in supporting the efforts of Churches in Ukraine and advocating for a peace that respects the sovereignty, territorial integrity and dignity of the Ukrainian people. In July 2025, a COMECE delegation led by its President, H.E. Mgr. Mariano Crociata, travelled to Lviv in a solidarity visit that offered a direct insight into the suffering caused by the war, while also witnessing the remarkable faith, resilience and hope that continue to sustain local communities despite immense hardship.
The discussions in Brussels provided COMECE with valuable insights into the current realities experienced by religious communities across Ukraine and will further inform its dialogue and advocacy efforts with the institutions of the European Union.
The visit of the UCCRO delegation to Brussels and Berlin was organised with the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation as part of a broader initiative aimed at fostering dialogue between Ukrainian religious leaders and European stakeholders.
The UCCRO delegation included:
- Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU);
- Metropolitan Evstratij (Zoria), Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OKU);
- Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi, Roman Catholic Church (RCC);
- Anatoliy Kozachok, Ukrainian Pentecostal Church;
- Bishop Pavlo Shvarts, German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine;
- Bishop Sándor Zán Fábián, Bishop of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church;
- Oleksa Petriv, Mitred Archpriest, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Zayets, Institute for Religious Freedom (NGO).