French Edition of His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s Daily Messages Presented in Paris
On December 16, an official presentation of the French edition of the daily messages of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, delivered during the first year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, took place at the the Collège Bernardin in Paris (France). The book was published by Salvator under the title Ukraine: 365 Days of Suffering and Hope. A Daily Chronicle of the First Year of War in Ukraine.
For more than three and half years of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Ukrainian people have been defending their freedom and right to a future, despite continuous violations of international humanitarian law and attacks against the civilian population. From the first days of this invasion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav appealed to Ukrainians daily with words of spiritual support and hope, helping them to understand their experiences through the lens of the Christian faith. These daily messages, delivered during the first year of the war, formed the basis of the book.
During the presentation, Brother Matthew, the abbot of the ecumenical community of Taizé, shared his impressions of the spiritual dimension of the book. He drew particular attention to the theme of resilience, which permeates every page of the publication.
“His Beatitude often reminds us of prayer, without which we cannot stand firm, of that ‘moment when the Lord takes me in His hands and guides me.’ It is this steadfastness that enables us to grow, despite trials, and to look to the future,” said Br. Matthew.
He also quoted the words of the Primate of the UGCC: “We should not forget that the way we live and act today will determine what Ukraine will be like after victory.”
Sharing his personal experience, Br. Matthew recalled his pilgrimage to Ukraine in April 2024 to Lviv, Kyiv, Ternopil, Zarvanytsia, Zhytomyr, as well as Bucha and Irpin—cities where the occupiers committed mass war crimes, murders, and torture of civilians.
“There I saw resilience as resistance in hope: mournful people, yet ready to act, young and old, who find unity and strength in prayer,” he testified. According to him, His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s book is not only a testimony to the struggle of an entire people, but also “a kind of catechism of Christian life and values with a universal message.” “We all have something to learn from this wounded people. Their resilience is a beacon for each of us,” emphasized Br. Matthew.
In his opening speech, His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared his personal experiences of delivering the daily addresses that became the basis for the book.
“When the words written in this book were born, believe me, I was not thinking about Paris. It was a moment when it felt like your world was falling apart,” said the Head of the UGCC.
According to him, at a time when a person is facing death, as a priest, he thought first and foremost about his people: “At that moment, we all felt how important it is to hear the voice of the Church in times of darkness and confusion. This voice makes it meaningful to live on. Back then in Kyiv, addressing the world every day, we didn’t know if we were heard. But as it turned out, our voice from Kyiv was sought after all over the world.
Later, I learned that a group of volunteers had formed to translate our words from Kyiv into six languages every day. That’s how we realized the power of words.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed special gratitude to the translator of the French edition, Ms. Ségolène Mykolenko, as well as to Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort of Reims, author of the book’s preface, who said during his visit to Kyiv that Ukraine is giving the world “a lesson in spirituality—how to be Christians in times of war.”
Words of gratitude were also expressed to French historian and theologian Antoine Arjakovsky, author of the afterword, and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who wrote the foreword to the Polish edition and gave his consent for its use in the French translation.
“Many people tell me, ‘This book has no ending,’” noted the Head of the UGCC. “Unfortunately, Ukraine’s suffering and hope continue.”
At the end, His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared a story that had occurred before the presentation. At the entrance to Bernardine College, he met a woman from India, Deepa Joseph, who presented him with her book Echoes of Peace and Justice as a memento of her visit to Ukraine.
“Today, Ukraine’s voice is struggling to reach India. But now I am convinced that it will reach even there—to a country that is still buying Russian oil,” said the Primate.
In conclusion, the Patriarch emphasized: “Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.”
The presentation program was accompanied by a musical and dramatic performance based on the book: excerpts were read in French by Canadian actor Gregory Hlady, Ukrainian songs were performed by distinguished artists of Ukraine, sisters Lesya and Galina Telnyuk, accompanied by strings and piano; with instrumental accompaniment by Oleh Repetsky.
After the presentation, His Beatitude Sviatoslav held an autograph session.
