“Hope in Ukraine Has Many Faces,” Head of the UGCC During Online Meeting of Ukrainian Youth with Pope Francis
“Your Holiness, thank you for this historic meeting,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, addressed Pope Francis at the beginning of an online meeting between Ukrainian youth and the Holy Father.
On February 1, 250 young people from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine, and the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese gathered at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv to thank Pope Francis, share their pain, and ask questions. Young people from Warsaw (Poland), London (UK), Chicago (USA), and Munich (Germany) also joined the meeting via social media.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav began the meeting with the Lord’s Prayer and introductions of the participants. He expressed his gratitude to the Pope for the historic meeting, noting that “this is probably the first time Ukrainian youth have had the opportunity to communicate with the Holy Father in such a way.”
The Head of the UGCC also thanked Pope Francis for proclaiming the 2025 Jubilee dedicated to hope. He remarked that “hope in Ukraine has many faces,” explaining, “First and foremost, it is the face of young defenders who have come forward to protect their homeland. Hope is the face of a young person who sacrifices their life to protect family and friends,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
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According to the Head of the UGCC, another face of hope in Ukraine is that of power engineers “who, despite constant rocket attacks, continue to restore power and provide light and the internet. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to organize this meeting today.”
“And finally, hope is seen in the faces of young Ukrainians who, despite the hardships of war, know how to love God and their neighbor,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav concluded.
Following this, the Head of the UGCC handed over the floor to the Holy Father, who shared his thoughts and answered questions from Ukrainian youth around the world.
The UGCC Department for Information
