His Beatitude Sviatoslav in Canada: “The Voice of Hope Echoes from Kyiv, for Ukraine Prays”
Our distinct tradition is a breath of Christ’s presence among us. If we have the Spirit of Christ, we can laugh in the face of death. A nation who believe in the Resurrection cannot be defeated. This was emphasized by the Father and Head of the UGCC on February 22 during a reception in Toronto (Canada) as part of a meeting of the Permanent Synod.
Addressing the clergy, he noted that “the Lord God created this day, this minute, for us to be together. We have specially arranged the program of our Permanent Synod to commemorate the third anniversary of the outbreak of the great war in Ukraine and to mark it together with Canada, with you—our community here.”
On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that “we were given three days, then they said three weeks, yet we have been remembering for three years,” confirming that “Ukraine stands.”
He then recalled the events of the war over the past three years: bombardments, shelling, encirclement, the defense of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv by ordinary men from the territorial defense, their hope and faith in victory.
The Patriarch referred to his meeting with the mayor of Kyiv at the beginning of the war, who said that “we need words of hope from the Church more than bread and clothing.”
“Now, in the special circumstances in which America, Canada, Europe, and the world are facing today, the voice of hope comes from Kyiv because Ukraine prays,” the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
The Primate also recalled visiting a wounded soldier in a hospital during the siege of Kyiv, “we could hear bombs exploding and artillery firing. He moans, looks at me, and says: ‘Bless me, Father.”
“Therefore, the essence of Christian hope is the Resurrection. We already have it. We feel the power of the resurrected Christ flowing through our veins. It was exactly what I saw in the veins of that wounded man,” explained His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
“Many people ask where is the God you believe in? And our men, young soldiers, say that He is with us. He is the one who is being killed on the front line or among the civilian population in our cities and villages. It is He who is being tortured in the body of our soldiers in captivity. It is He who is once again kidnapped in the body of our children, who are abducted to Russia and taken away from their parents. He is the one who is once again ridiculed by the powers of this world, saying, ‘If I were you, you would never die. It is He who is sold today for 30 silver pieces, which may be worth more money today,’ added the UGCC Head.
He recounted the meetings in the United States, emphasizing that he “spoke with a sense of strength and dignity. They may have more money and other things, but no one else possesses the power of the Spirit of God, which pulsates in the body of our people.”
The Head of the UGCC expressed his gratitude for Canada’s support, the aid provided by various organizations, and the Ukrainian community, inviting “everyone to the All-Church Pilgrimage of the Global Church, which will be held this year in Rome, in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 28, the day before the feast of Peter and Paul.”
“In this year, which Pope Francis declared the year of hope, it is so important for us to come together and share our hope with the world, for it seems that the world is slowly losing its grip on hope. We need to testify to it so that they not only hear about hope, but also see a living, global, dynamic Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The UGCC Department for Information
