Author ORCID Identifier
Olga Nedavnya - 0000-0003-4634-1137
Abstract
This article examines the organization and content of the social work of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) and the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine (RCC in Ukraine) during the ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The application of the social services of these Churches, its performers and beneficiaries, and the features of the implementation of humanitarian charity in wartime are identified. In the UGCC, social work is supervised by its Department of Social Service, in the RCC in Ukraine by the Caritas-Spes Commission, and the relevant practical activity is carried out mainly through the specific Catholic organizations that have their own divisions in both Churches: Caritas, the Maltese Aid Service, the Kolping Society, the Community of Saint Egidio, the Knights of Columbus, as well as the St. Martin Foundation (Dominicans). The social service of both Catholic denominations in Ukraine is systematic and complex, with a wide coverage of practical areas that features close cooperation between the relevant organizational units of both Churches significant support from international Catholic charitable organizations. In the UGCC and the RCC in Ukraine, the aid is provided not only with “fish” but also with “fishing rods” (offerings of many educational programs and projects, assistance in employment), as well as qualified psychological support. The beneficiaries of social assistance are persons in need, regardless of their denomination. Some of the beneficiaries later become volunteers themselves. Volunteering among the believers of these two Churches and other willing people is encouraged, with adequate training of employees and volunteers. In general, the social work of both Churches has intensified in wartime conditions; it is characterized by mobility and rapid adaptation to new needs and tasks. Thus, the UGCC and the RCC in Ukraine demonstrate energetic social services during the war, patriotically responding to the challenges of the day.
Recommended Citation
Nedavnya, Olga
(2025)
"Catholic Social Services in Ukraine During the Current War Against Ukraine,"
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 45
:
Iss.
6
, Article 8.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2638
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol45/iss6/8