The Catholic Bishop of Kyiv–Zhytomyr has met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington, offering a personal account of faith, suffering, and resilience as Ukraine approaches the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full scale invasion. The meeting took place on February 4 at the U.S. State Department, just weeks before the February 24 anniversary marking the escalation of the war that began in 2022.
Vitaliy Kryvytskyi described the encounter as rooted not in politics but in shared belief. He emphasized that his purpose was not diplomatic negotiation, but testimony. According to the bishop, the conversation focused on faith, the endurance of the Ukrainian people, and the moral weight of a conflict that continues to devastate civilian life.
During the meeting, Rubio reportedly told the bishop that he prays nightly for Ukraine and its people. Bishop Kryvytskyi noted that the secretary’s personal family history gave the exchange added depth, observing that Rubio’s relatives who fled communism understand the lasting scars left by oppressive systems. The bishop said this shared awareness underscored a common desire to ensure that such suffering is not repeated.
As Ukraine enters another winter under wartime conditions, Bishop Kryvytskyi described worsening humanitarian challenges. He said electricity outages are now longer and more severe than in previous years, leaving many buildings without power or heating during freezing temperatures. In some cases, he warned, people are dying in their apartments because they cannot stay warm.
Amid these hardships, the Catholic Church in Ukraine has expanded its role as a frontline humanitarian presence. Bishop Kryvytskyi explained that parishes have become places of refuge, offering warmth, food, and basic services to those affected by the ongoing attacks on infrastructure. Churches, he said, are serving as safe spaces where people can charge phones, drink hot beverages, cook meals, and simply survive the cold.
Beyond material aid, the bishop stressed the Church’s spiritual mission during the war. Clergy and volunteers are regularly asked how long the conflict will last, a question without easy answers. He said the Church responds by pointing people toward faith as a source of strength, endurance, and hope. For many Ukrainians, he added, the crisis has prompted a renewed or even first encounter with prayer.
The war has also transformed Bishop Kryvytskyi’s own spiritual life. He said Scripture now resonates in a different way, particularly the Psalms, which often speak directly of conflict, fear, and trust in God amid violence. He noted that these texts feel newly alive in the context of daily air raids and loss. He also said he has turned more frequently to the Rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Despite exhaustion and grief, the bishop believes the Ukrainian faithful have grown spiritually stronger over the past four years. Maintaining faith under constant threat is not easy, he said, but many believers now possess a deeper resilience than they did at the start of the invasion, shaped by suffering, prayer, and solidarity.
