Going on with its speech to the Latin rite Ukrainian bishops, the Pope touched the subject of relationships with the Orthodox, who make up the majority of the Ukrainian population. "You really feel the ecumenical need – he said, for you’ve been living together with our Orthodox brothers for many centuries. And with them, you are trying to conduct a daily dialogue which includes a lot of life aspects. The difficulties, the obstacles, and any possible failures should not limit your enthusiasm in following this direction". Moreover, he exhorted the bishops to take care of bishop training, and to cultivate religious vocations, adding that "the cultivation of vocations naturally depends on a valid family pastoral. In these modern times, the training of laymen capable of accepting faith is even more necessary; this is one of the pastoral objectives to be pursued with great commitment". In Ukraine, the memory of the pastoral visit by John Paul II, taking place in June 2001, is really alive. During that visit, the passed-away Pope had also the opportunity to meet exponents of the Orthodox Church.
