Head of the UGCC in the 162 nd Week of War: The Essential Truth for Ending the War—Ukraine Is the Victim, Russia Is the Aggressor
Justice means that any peace formula must stop the perpetrator and protect the victim. Without adherence to these basic principles, the search for a just peace is impossible. This was stated by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in his traditional address on the 162 nd week of Russia’s waging war against Ukraine.
The Primate noted that this was another week of pain, bloodshed, destruction, and loss, yet it was also marked by the extraordinary courage and heroism of the Ukrainian army and people. According to the Head of the Church, while negotiations on peace are underway, and attacks are announced to stop, in particular on the energy infrastructure of our cities and villages, the reality is the opposite—the Russian occupier, proclaiming one thing, commits the opposite. Our peaceful towns and villages are burning again.
Despite everything, last week the Lord showed us some glimpses of hope.
“A large exchange of prisoners of war took place. Almost 200 Ukrainian soldiers who defended Ukraine on different fronts were released from Russian captivity. We thank God for every life saved. We embrace our heroes and their families, who met their loved ones with tears of joy,” said the spiritual leader.
According to the Head of the Church, we also received two important signs of solidarity with our Church and the Ukrainian nation from the Catholics of the United States and France. In particular, we welcomed dignitaries from the United States who conveyed greetings from Americans who support, love and pray for us. We were also visited by a delegation from the organization “L’Oeuvre d’Orient” from France, which is providing a lot of aid today, especially in the humanitarian and educational spheres, so that we can give a proper response to the challenges of war in these vital areas of our lives.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that last week the world’s attention was riveted on the high-level talks between the United States, Ukraine and Russia: “Truth and justice in the search for peace are not abstract concepts. They are like two wings that help to find balance in order to continue on this road of peace building. The truth, which is essential for reconciliation or stopping the war, is that Ukraine is a victim of this aggression and the Russian occupier is a criminal, and that it is impossible to put and protect their interests on the same level.”
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Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 162nd Week of Full-Scale War, March 23, 2025
The Head of the Church recognized as an important event last week the regular Forum of UGCC Social Service, which took place in the Patriarchal House in Kyiv. The event brought together all those who directly serve the victims of war and save them from the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis.
“The UN Humanitarian Center states that one in three Ukrainians in Ukraine today needs immediate humanitarian assistance. We hope to be able to serve these people. However, this will not be enough. We need to move from urgent humanitarian aid to social protection of those affected by the war,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The UGCC Department for Information
