"We came to reaffirm our communion with the Holy Father and to ask for his help for the suffering people of Ukraine during the Jubilee Year of Mercy," said Archbishop Shevchuk in the statement, who added: "And the Holy Father heard us."
"We reaffirm what no totalitarian regime could break: our communion with Rome and the Universal Church."
The statement goes on to condemn the violence and atrocities against human dignity which has taken place in Ukraine, especially against religious communities and ethnic groups.
"The Church condemns the atrocities, the kidnappings, imprisonment and torture of citizens of Ukraine in the Donbas and Crimea – especially abuses directed at religious communities and ethnic groups, especially Muslim Tatars, as well as broad violations of civic rights and the human dignity of millions," according to the message.
The UGCC "ceaselessly prays for and promotes peace," the statement continues, and calls on the Pope and the global community to "help stop the war and stem the humanitarian crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine."
10,000 people have been killed, tens of thousands injured, and over 2 million have been left homeless due to the "ongoing undeclared hybrid war," the statement asserts.
The crisis has also taken its toll on Ukraine's infrastructure, and its currency has two-thirds of its earlier value, which in turn has impoverished the nation, the UGCC said.
"The people are suffering, Holy Father, and they await your embrace," Archbishop Shevchuk is quoted as saying. "Pope Francis made it clear that he would act."
The statement went on to recall the long-term suffering endured by the people of Ukraine, between "two World Wars, genocides, a state-planned famine, and ethnic cleansing" which claimed the lives of some 15 million people during the twentieth century.
The statement decried the attempts by Stalin's regime to "brutally" suppress the UGCC and to remove it from the "Catholic communion" and the Roman Pontiff, citing the pseudo-synod of Lviv.
Despite the hardships endured by the faithful during that time, "the Church has revived miraculously and is a thriving, dynamic body active throughout Ukraine and on four continents, with young clergy and a dedicated laity inspired by the example of their twentieth century martyrs."
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Archbishop Shevchuk stressed Pope Francis' "moral authority" over the people of Ukraine.
"For Ukrainians who belong to different Churches and religious organizations and even secular citizens, the Holy Father is a global moral authority who speaks the truth," the archbishop told the Pope.
"This voice of truth is particularly important for the suffering people of Ukraine. If the people do not hear or understand this voice they become confused, anxious, and feel forgotten," he added.
Archbishop Shevchuk responded to the Pope Francis' emphasis on not solving "ecumenical problems at the expense of an entire Eastern Catholic Church." He said the UGCC is "ready to provide responsible, transparent, ecumenically sound administration of international aid," to the Ukrainian population, regardless of "ethnicity, political or linguistic preferences or religious affiliation."
"Enough of this suffering. It can be prevented. It can be healed. Let us make the 'Year of Mercy' a reality for the people of Ukraine."