Editors’ note: The interview was edited for style and brevity.
Q: How did you experience the moment of your appointment as cardinal, and do you feel this responsibility as a burden or as a gift?
A: It is probably no secret I was one of the last to hear Pope Francis had chosen me to be a cardinal of the Catholic Church. The whole world already knew about it, but I found out two hours after the announcement. On that day, 6 October 2024, I was in Brisbane, Australia, where our Ukrainian parish of the Protection of the Mother of God was celebrating its patronal feast. We were having dinner, and I had turned off my phone. When I turned it back on after dinner, I saw numerous messages congratulating me on my appointment as cardinal. To be honest, at first, I thought it was some kind of joke, but I checked the official Vatican website and saw that it was true. Of course, I was shocked and had many questions: Why me?
For me, as for many others, this news came as a big surprise. I was certainly excited because this appointment is a great privilege. And it is not a privilege granted to me personally, but a privilege granted by Pope Francis to the entire Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and to the Catholic Church in Australia.
Q: What was the most important spiritual moment for you during the 2025 conclave?
A: Participating in the conclave was a great personal experience for me and truly something unforgettable. It is an event that attracts the attention of the whole world, both believers and nonbelievers, because the figure of the pope has a great influence not only on the Catholic world but on the world in general. It is difficult to convey these emotions. I remember two moments when I felt goosebumps. The first was when we entered the Sistine Chapel in procession to the singing of the choir. The second was when the cardinals stood before the new pope was announced on the balcony. Standing among the cardinals on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and seeing the people in the square welcoming the newly elected Holy Father is something extraordinary.
It was the best time of my life. Just try turning off your phone for at least 24 hours. Mine was off for two-and-a-half days, and I was able to completely focus on praying for the church, for the future pope, and for peace in Ukraine. This is an event where the Holy Spirit works in a special way. There may be different predictions and expectations, but this conclave in particular showed that God works in his own way.
Q: How has your experience of participating in the conclave influenced your view of the church today? Do you notice any changes in the Catholic Church’s emphasis or stance on moral, social or geopolitical issues?
A: My participation in the conclave reminded me once again of an important truth: The Catholic Church is a united, holy, catholic and apostolic community, in which the Lord chooses those who are worthy and at the same time capable of responding to the challenges of their time. The pontificate of the previous pope was marked by many difficult circumstances. For us Ukrainians, this was primarily related to the annexation of Crimea and, later, to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But at the same time, it was a period of other wars, crises and upheavals. It was also a time of rapid development of digital technologies that are radically changing people’s lifestyles.
More people are living in the virtual world, and the church cannot remain on the sidelines of this process. This is also a challenge we must accept as a mission: to be present in the digital environment, to use all available means of communication — television, the internet, social networks — to bring the Word of God to modern people, who often seek answers there.
From what I know from his fellow Augustinians, Pope Leo XIV also actively used social networks in the past and, perhaps now, having become pope, he will have to change this presence somewhat. But I hope he will be one of those who will also try in every way to proclaim the Word of God to people.
Q. Who initiated the joint statement by the cardinals calling for peace, addressed to world leaders? And, in your opinion, what needs to happen for this call to be not just heard, but listened to and translated into concrete action?
A: You know, in fact, all the cardinals worked together for a whole week before the conclave. There were about 180 cardinals at those general congregations, 133 of whom subsequently elected the pope. Each of us had our own speech, and we even tried to convey them in writing to the secretaries, who were to pass on these reports to the newly elected Holy Father. The current Holy Father also had the same message. And, of course, the topics of war, conflict and peace were raised in our reports. But we must also understand the church has never stood aside and has always called for peace. For example, when it comes to Ukraine, we can see the attitude of the College of Cardinals toward the war in Ukraine in the public statements and specific actions of its individual members. These manifestations testify to the constant attention to the situation in which the Ukrainian people find themselves.
In particular, in March 2025, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See, had a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which they discussed issues of peace and the release of prisoners of war. In July 2024, he also visited Kyiv, thus personally demonstrating the Holy See’s solidarity with the Ukrainian people.
In addition, the Vatican is actively involved in humanitarian initiatives, particularly in the return of deported Ukrainian children and the release of civilian hostages. These actions demonstrate the issue of war in Ukraine is a focus of attention for the Apostolic See and the College of Cardinals.
Q: Today, many Christians, especially those belonging to Eastern churches, are forced to leave their traditional lands due to war, persecution or economic disasters. Do you believe Eastern churches are capable of surviving these global upheavals?
A: “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.” These words from the Gospel of Mark are probably the best answer. It seems to me our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is already such an example. After the Lviv pseudo-council of 1946, when our bishops, priests and faithful were arrested and deported to Siberia, at a time when our church in Ukraine was strictly banned and it effectively operated underground, our clergy and faithful who found themselves in different parts of the world after World War II did everything possible to preserve and develop their church in their places of residence.
For example, in Australia, the first Ukrainians began to immigrate here in 1948 and immediately began to make efforts regarding spiritual life. Officially, 13 August 1949, is considered the date when the Divine Liturgy was first celebrated in Australia by Father Pavlo Smal in a chapel near St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne. In 1950, Father Ivan Prasko volunteered to come to Australia. Initially, as a priest, he performed pastoral duties among Ukrainian faithful in Melbourne, Victoria and Tasmania for eight years. It was then that he founded many church communities and later contributed to the construction of churches, organized Ukrainian Saturday schools, and a number of church and community associations.
On 19 October 1958, Father Ivan Prasko was ordained bishop by Metropolitan Maksym Hermaniuk, Archbishop Ivan Buchko and Bishop Isidore Boretsky. The new bishop immediately headed the Apostolic Exarchate for Ukrainians in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, which was established on 10 May 1958, by Pope Pius XII.
The same was true in other countries where our faithful were located. Accordingly, after our church emerged from the underground in Ukraine, our church structures in the diaspora contributed greatly to the restoration of the church in Ukraine. Therefore, I believe that, with God’s help, the Eastern Catholic churches will survive these upheavals.
Q: What are the main challenges you see in pastoral ministry in secular Australian society?
A: Of course, the impact of secularization and assimilation is very noticeable. However, our task is to proclaim Christ even when we have to endure some inconveniences. The eparchy in Australia and New Zealand is missionary. We often travel and look for our people. We use every opportunity to start a dialogue — the Ukrainian flag, the Ukrainian language. We understand how important it is to work with children and young people, because it is with them that the spiritual and patriotic path begins.
Unfortunately, there are certain difficulties. Our people in Australia often perceive the church as just another organization. Therefore, our work is focused on showing the broad mission of the church. In our pastoral work, we try to be open and flexible.
There are currently five Eastern Catholic churches in Australia: the Maronite, Melkite, Syro-Malabar, Chaldean and Ukrainian Greek Catholic churches, and it seems each faces the problem of identity or assimilation. We cannot completely avoid this. But we can do everything in our power to ensure our church is a living church, a church where people will find the Risen Christ.
Q: How do you assess the transformation of the social ministry of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine and Australia? What features do you consider common, and which ones fundamentally different in the context of spiritual care, helping the vulnerable and responding to social challenges?
A: Of course, there are significant differences between the social services provided by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine and Australia, which is only natural, given that Ukraine has been at war for over 10 years and Russia’s full-scale invasion has radically exacerbated the need for various forms of assistance. Social service there today is not only charitable activity, but also rapid response and systematic support for internally displaced persons, the wounded, military families and all those affected by the war.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit Ukraine, specifically Lviv, Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Slavutych. Everywhere I went, I saw how deeply and systematically social service structures had developed: parish communities, charitable organizations and numerous volunteer initiatives.
In Australia, thank God, the situation is completely different. We live in peace, and therefore our social service is of a different nature. Here, we try to be the voice of Ukraine — constantly reminding Australian society that there is a war going on in Ukraine, that our people are suffering and need support. And we try to get involved in the social initiatives of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine.
Q: Your experience of ministry in Siberia encompasses very specific conditions — historical trauma, isolation and loss of language. How different are these conditions from the contemporary pastoral context in Australia? And do you know anything about the current state of the parish in Prokopyevsk, where you worked as a missionary?
A: My ministry in Siberia will definitely remain in my memory forever. After all, it was actually the place of my first ministry as a young priest. My ordination took place in May, and in June I left for Siberia. After my ordination, I wanted to convert the whole world. I had great missionary zeal. As a priest, I wanted to do everything I could for people. Working in Siberia, as now in Australia, was a mission because I had to travel constantly, visiting our people at various great distances, from 50 to 300 kilometers [30-185 miles].
But if we compare ministry in Siberia to ministry in Australia, we must first consider that in Siberia it was ministry to Ukrainians and their descendants who, in 1947, were deported as part of the so-called Operation West for disagreeing with the Soviet authorities. In 1959, Father Vasyl Rudka, a Redemptorist, went to Siberia to serve these people. He was the first priest to go there.
You know, I would not like to compare the traumas of these two communities, because it is somewhat inappropriate. But I want to draw attention to the fact that, of course, in the Soviet Union, and later in Russia, these people did not have the same rights and freedoms, nor the same standard of living as our faithful in Australia. Therefore, in the conditions in which they found themselves, it was really very difficult to preserve their faith, language and traditions.
Our Redemptorist priests were forced to end their ministry there in 2014, after the occupation of Crimea — that is, after 55 years of serving Ukrainians in Siberia. One of the priests who carried out his pastoral ministry in Siberia was Father Bohdan Geleta, who spent more than a year and a half in Russian captivity from November 2022.
Q. You have mentioned as a teenager you felt lonely in your faith — in particular because of misunderstanding or even ridicule from your peers. How has this personal experience influenced your perception of the spiritual challenges facing young people? And how does it shape your approach to pastoral care among the younger generation today — especially in a secularized society?
A: As I mentioned earlier, secularization is our challenge here in Australia. It affects society and the church, our people and vocations to monastic and priestly ministry. However, my task is to reveal God’s love to people. And the best way to show people Christ is to follow his example in my personal life — to be close to people, especially those most in need and rejected.
We try to seek out our youth. Most often we can find them at Plast [National Scout Organization of Ukraine] and C.Y.M. [Ukrainian Youth Association] camps. That is why our chaplain priests are assigned to these organizations. I always try, at least once a year, to visit their summer camps, which usually take place in late December or early January, and spend a few days with the Plast and C.Y.M. members. Our priests try to hold children’s liturgies in their parishes at least once a month.
Q. In the context of contemporary crises — war, migration, psychological trauma — how do you see the church’s mission among those whom society tends to overlook: displaced persons, the wounded, the sick and the marginalized? How can we keep the Gospel alive in their lives — not only with words, but with concrete gestures of solidarity?
A: The Catholic Church — both globally and through local communities — continues to provide significant humanitarian assistance around the world.
The church carries out its mission of compassion and care often quietly, without the same level of attention as large-scale government programs. Yet it remains a vital presence among the poor, the displaced and the suffering, offering not only material help but also spiritual support and solidarity.
We in Australia are also trying to support our people in Ukraine, not only through prayer — every Friday in our eparchy is a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine — but also by supporting humanitarian initiatives such as the Patriarchal Foundation Wise Deed, which provides food packages to people living in front-line areas.
Q. Do you see the current crisis — war, loss, migration — as an opportunity to renew the church, its mission and deeper unity between Eastern and Western Christian traditions?
A: I think the best answer to this question is the pope’s last words at a meeting with representatives of the Council of Organizations Assisting Eastern Churches [ROACO]. The pope emphasized that today Eastern Catholics are no longer “distant relatives,” but due to forced migration, they live in close proximity to Western Catholics. He called on the representatives of the council to discover the beauty of God’s people in the Eastern tradition, who show resilience amid the many sufferings caused by war, as well as to look at those who “join the great ranks of martyrs and saints of the Christian East,” thus becoming witnesses to “the light of the East in the night of conflict.”
The pope noted there is still a great deal of ignorance and lack of knowledge about the Eastern Catholic churches and that the wish of St. John Paul II — who said the church must learn to breathe again with two lungs, Eastern and Western — has not yet been fulfilled. He also talked about specific steps to remedy this situation, such as starting to organize basic courses on the Eastern churches in seminaries, theological faculties and Catholic university centers, and organizing joint meetings and pastoral events. For me, these words are a sign that the church, like no other, strives to deepen this unity and that, on the initiative of Pope Leo XIV, this will indeed be achieved.
Q: How do you live today as a cardinal, pastor and Redemptorist priest?
A: My episcopal motto — “Most Holy Mother of God, save us” — remains relevant to me today. In my vocation, I am also inspired by the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She was chosen by God from the moment of her conception. She is an example for us of how to live in service to God and our neighbors. My entire spiritual life and priesthood have been deeply shaped by devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
From early childhood, I remember the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes and her words to St. Bernadette: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima also became an important part of my life. In 1917, the Blessed Virgin called on all of us to pray for the conversion of Russia. Her call to pray the rosary remains just as important in 2025. The rosary has been, and continues to be, a vital part of my daily prayer routine. At the beginning of my monastic life in the Redemptorist community, when I received my vestments, I was given a rosary by the father provincial, who said, “Brother, take the spiritual sword.” And I urge all of you to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially in times of hardship, pain and uncertainty.
As for how I live now, my life has not changed radically, because I remain first and foremost a bishop for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, and a bishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church … I continue to work closely with my brother bishops in Australia, both Latin and Eastern traditions. Perhaps this appointment as cardinal has given me additional duties and responsibilities, which I try to fulfill with dignity.