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

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.

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.