His Beatitude Sviatoslav and Cardinal Pietro Parolin Take Part in Pilgrimage to Berdychiv Sanctuary
On July 21, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See, presided over the closing services in Berdychiv to mark the national pilgrimage of Ukrainian Roman Catholics. The Holy Mass was held at the Carmelite monastery, proclaimed a national sanctuary by the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine. The Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, participated in the pilgrimage.
This was reported by Vatican News.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, was greeted by members of the Bishops’ Conference, led by Bishop Vitaly Skomarovsky, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparch Teodor Matsapula. Representatives of the government and the diplomatic corps, pilgrims from different parts of the country, and delegations from abroad came to pray.
During his homily, Cardinal Parolin noted that the sanctuary in Berdychiv, along with the sanctuary in Zarvanytsia, “has become one of the spiritual hubs of the Catholic community in Ukraine,” where prayers of thanksgiving for the graces received are offered to God, and in a special way, “a plea for what may seem impossible in the eyes of many—a wonder, a miracle of such longed-for peace!” He recalled the history of this sanctuary, renowned for its miracles, emphasizing that this is not to “lecture on history” but to affirm the faith that “what is impossible for men is possible for God.” This truth is also seen through the liturgical readings.
“Today, the Church in Ukraine is also called to fulfill a prophetic mission similar to that of the prophet Elijah: to call for constant prayer that God will convert the hearts of those who, having deviated from His ways and become slaves to their own pride, sow violence and death, oppressing the dignity of children of God, which St. Paul speaks of in a passage from the Epistle to the Galatians,” emphasized the preacher. He also noted that “today all of Ukraine is undergoing the dark hour of Calvary. It is heartbreaking to realize that while we are here, in another part of the country, fierce fighting and bombing continue unabated. And although it is still difficult to discern the paschal light of peace on the horizon, Christ’s resurrection, as evidence of the victory of life, strengthens our faith and hope and reveals to us that death will not have the last word. The wonder of Christ’s resurrection is the greatest confirmation that what is impossible for people is possible for God.”
After Cardinal Pietro Parolin gave the participants of the service a final blessing, everyone knelt before the icon of the Mother of God of Berdychiv. Bishop Pavlo Honcharuk, Ordinary of Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia, read the prayer of the Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Pontifical Legate then handed over a rosary from the Holy Father to the rector of the sanctuary, Father Vitaliy Kozak, as a gift for the shrine, “which will remain here as a reminder of this celebration and as a commitment of all of us to continue to pray that the Virgin Mary will respond to our intentions, our needs, and requests.”
In conclusion, after reading a short prayer in Latin to St. Michael the Archangel, Cardinal Parolin addressed the audience: “As I recall these words today, I offer them as a message of hope and strength in the fight against evil to your Church, tested by the cruelty of war. May they, together with the sacred statues of St. Michael the Archangel, travel to each diocese to ask for the gift of peace for Ukraine in a great national prayer. Marvel at the courage of St. Michael the Archangel. He represents that victory comes from God. Therefore, through the stance of faith, trust in God’s Providence, the victory of good over evil is fulfilled in you. May peace abide in you so that it may abide in your homeland. God Almighty, bless Ukraine and grant it peace.”
The UGCC Department for Information
Photo by Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine
