Pope Benedict XVI could visit Ukraine on July 28 to attend celebrations of the 1025th anniversary of the Baptism of the Rus, Komsomolskaya Pravda v Ukraine reported on Wednesday.
“The Patriarch of Rome could come to Ukraine at the invitation of the churches and president. The Holy See received an invitation. It’s being considered. And if Pope Benedict XVI had been invited to Ukraine also as head of Vatican, he would hardly have refused,” head of the information department at the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Ihor Yatsiv told the edition.
However, the Komsomolskaya Pravda reported that the Pope has not received an official invitation yet.
The last time the Pope came to Ukraine was in 2001, when John Paul II led the Catholic Church.
As reported, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych stated that all residential areas of Ukraine would mark the 1025th anniversary of the Day of the Baptism of the Rus. The president also demanded that there be tolerance during the celebration and that all events be well organized.
