For the second time in 30 years, the Grand Hospitaller (Minister for Humanitarian Action and International Cooperation) of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Fra’ Alessandro de Franciscis, visited Ukraine. The Grand Hospitaller met with the team of the Malteser Relief Service and visited key locations in Lviv under the care of the Service.
The Grand Hospitaller and the delegation honored the memory of the fallen Heroes of the Russian-Ukrainian War at Lychakiv Cemetery and the Garrison Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul of the UGCC.
“When I knelt in front of the young man’s grave, I was very moved by it, tears came to my eyes. I thought about the courage of this young man, but also about the love he felt for his country, which made him leave Brazil, where he was at the beginning of the war, to defend with his fellow Ukrainians the land they inherited from their parents. I was very touched,” Fra’ Alessandro De Franciscis shared his feelings.
As part of his working visit to Lviv, the Grand Hospitaller met with the team of the Maltese Relief Service to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the activities of the Service. In particular, the issue of providing psychological assistance to IDPs and people affected by the war, the work of shelters for IDPs, and assistance in the liberated territories.
The delegation visited the key locations in Lviv under the care of the Maltese Relief Service: a shelter for IDPs, a children’s workshop at Lviv Lyceum No. 8, and first aid training.
“Thanks to the local network here (as the Maltese Relief Service), I was able to see what we do for others in practice: from helping schools become more professional to help in the shelters where we host IDPs. It was very useful for me and for all of us to understand the significance of the help we provide, as I always emphasize, with our sleeves rolled up. You can’t just talk about helping others. You need to roll up your sleeves and work. It was a very important experience for me here in Ukraine,” says Fra’ Alessandro De Franciscis.
Also, during the visit, the Grand Hospitaller met with the Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv of the UGCC, Bishop Ihor Vozniak, and Archbishop and Metropolitan of Lviv of the RCC, Bishop Mieczyslaw Mokrzycki. During the meeting, the Order of Malta was thanked for the numerous humanitarian and social projects implemented over the past 30 years, as well as for the fact that from the first days of the war, the Malteser Relief Service intensified assistance to the Ukrainian people.
Such visits, according to the head of the Malteser Relief Service in Ukraine, are of particular value in this difficult time for Ukraine. After all, they demonstrate the unity of efforts, thanks to which the Maltese Relief Service can continue to help everyone in need.
“This is a very important visit for Ukraine and the Malteser Relief Service, which is part of the Order of Malta. Having 30 years of experience in the humanitarian sphere in Ukraine and being a member of the international network of the Order and Malteser International, we are able to effectively help Ukrainians in this difficult time,” said Pavlo Titko, Head of the Maltese Relief Service in Ukraine.
Representatives of the French, Polish, and Canadian Associations of the Order of Malta and Malteser International visited Ukraine along with the Great Hospitaller.
The Order of Malta (full name: Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta) was founded in Jerusalem in 1048. The mission of the Order is to witness to the faith and serve the poor and needy. The Order of Malta has internationally recognized sovereignty and maintains diplomatic relations with 120 countries, and has representatives to the EU, the UN, and major international organizations.
In Ukraine, the Order of Malta has been present since 1991 through the Maltese Relief Service, which has offices in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Berehove. Since 2008, Ukraine and the Order of Malta have established bilateral diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.