SW News: Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago in the United States has traveled to Kyiv, Irpen, and Bucha in Ukraine to show his empathy with the country's suffering citizens.
The Cardinal lauded the resiliency of Ukrainians, despite the continued suffering they continue to experience from the war on their country since Russia's invasion, in a statement released by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

The Holy Father has repeatedly called for an end to the violence and war, offering the Holy See's assistance in promoting peace and dispatching envoys to bring aid and advance humanitarian causes, including Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, his almoner and the prefect of the Dicastery for Charity, and Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, the president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

The majority of Cardinal Cupich's time was spent in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, where he met with Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, as well as the American embassy there. He and the Major Archbishop talked about how to heal the war's wounds.

Cardinal Cupich and His Beatitude Shevchuk also spoke about how the war has harmed Ukrainian youngsters, particularly in the area of education, and how American psychologists may aid those who have been injured.
'Mudra Sprava' Foundation and Caritas Ukraine's initiatives were made known to him.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Christmas should no longer be observed on January 7 as the majority of Eastern Orthodox Churches do. Zelensky proposed on Wednesday to replace January 7 as Christmas and move it to December 25 in accordance with Western churches. The law also seeks to alter the dates of Defenders Day and Statehood Day. The Days of the Baptism of Russia and the Intercession of the Virgin both fall on the same days as the traditional Orthodox holidays.

Zelensky cited a previous ruling by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which split from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. He said that the former will change from the Julian calendar (Orthodox churches) to the Gregorian calendar (Western churches), in September.

Additionally, the holidays marking Ukraine's independence, Ukrainian Statehood Day, and Day of Defenders, which are associated with military customs in Ukraine on the Day of the Intercession of Saint Theotokos, respectively move from July 28 to July 15 and from October 14 to October 1.

Zelensky’s proposal is consistent with the way Ukrainian churches are currently separating themselves from the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox churches in Ukraine have gradually adapted to the practices of Western churches since the start of the conflict.