Head of the UGCC on the 355th day of the war: “There is no better or worse gender. Being a man or a woman is two forms of being a human”
We know that at the beginning of creation, God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; ‘male and female He created them’, as the Holy Scriptures tell us. Males and females are equal in dignity but different in vocation. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the UGCC, said this in his daily address on the 355th day of the war.
On this day, His Beatitude Sviatoslav reflected on the exceptional vocation of each of us — to be a man or a woman. He noted that this vocation is a gift that does not depend on our will. “To be a man or a woman is a secret of the human self, which each person must discover and accept,” said the hierarch.
He emphasized, however, that gender discrimination is the arbitrariness of people, the humiliation of the dignity of both men and women. It contradicts God’s plan for the creation and salvation of man. Moreover, the depth of the vocation to be a man or a woman requires personal effort. Like every vocation, it must be evaluated, accepted, and realized. It is a unique road to happiness that God calls us to follow.
“Our gender distinguishes our entire personality: physicality, psyche, and spirituality. Therefore, it should not be disregarded, loathed, or neglected; on the contrary, this gift should be accepted and lived in fullness with it,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav said, and then reminded us that there are two ways to realize one’s sexuality: in a family or consecrated life. He wished all men and women of Ukraine to accept the gift of being a man or a woman, to accept the gift and vocation to fatherhood and motherhood.
The UGCC Department for Information
