Ukrainian bishop says local Catholic population has fallen by over 95%
February 23, 2026
» Continue to this story on L'Osservatore Romano (Italian)
CWN Editor's Note: A Latin-rite bishop in Ukraine said that over 95% of Catholics have fled his diocesan territory since Russia’s 2014 invasion.
“Before 2014, when the war began, our diocese had 72,000 faithful; today, about 2,500 remain,” said Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk of Kharkiv-Zaporizhia.
The prelate spoke of the risk to priests of “not finding time for God,” of “throwing ourselves completely into work and service—serving and helping tirelessly—forgetting our own soul.”
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