“I Believe in the Church Where Christ Suffers, Dies, and Rises in the Body of My People,” Says Head of the UGCC at Sardinia Congress
On October 19, a diocesan congress was held in Tortoli (Sardinia, Italy) to mark the 200th anniversary of the Diocese of Lanusei. The theme of the congress, “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic,” invited participants and speakers from various countries and continents: His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, Cardinal Virgilio Carmo da Silva (East Timor), Bishops Virgilio do Nascimento Antunes of Portugal, Edouard Sinayobye of Rwanda, and Joel Potrella Amado of Brazil.
In his opening address, Bishop Antonio Mura of the Diocese of Lanusei highlighted the uniqueness of the diocesan congress, which brought together speakers from “different continents, cultural, and religious contexts, giving participants the opportunity to discover the universal character of the Church, the diversity along with the unity in faith.” Bishop Mura emphasized, “The universality of the Church is being revealed from our diocese in Sardinia today through the presence of guests from various continents.”
One of the central themes of the congress focused on the war in Ukraine—its historical background, ideological basis, and humanitarian repercussions. In his speech, the Head of the UGCC described the neo-colonial nature of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s attempts to revive the Soviet Union, and its efforts to return Ukraine to the “prison of nations,” depriving it of a European path toward development among democratic countries.
“The war in Ukraine is a conflict between two models: the future and the past. A real genocide is unfolding in our country, with Russia killing hundreds of civilians daily and destroying our infrastructure, cultural, and spiritual centers,” emphasized the Head of the UGCC.
“There is no nation that desires peace more than the Ukrainian people. We see that Russia is attempting to force us into a peace that, for us, would mean the elimination of our existence as a people with our own cultural identity. This is why the Ukrainian people are resisting this aggression—it is a real struggle for our survival. Imagine that 14 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes! That’s approximately the population of nine islands the size of Sardinia,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
His Beatitude especially addressed the role of faith during times of war: “The experience of suffering prompts people to a deeper search for faith as an answer to what we are going through today. As a clergyman, I often don’t know what to say to a child who has lost limbs, how to comfort a wounded soldier, or people who have lost their loved ones—but as a Church, we strive to be present for them. People need the presence of a priest. Many of those I visited in hospitals asked me for only one thing: ‘Bless me!’ I understand that to bless someone is to offer a person who is suffering the breath of the risen Lord. As Christians, we believe in the crucified but risen Lord. Today, in Ukraine, the crucifix is not just a religious symbol hanging on the wall—it represents the suffering body of our people. But we also believe in its resurrection.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav shared that, in times of war, the Church is called to be where people suffer the most. “The pastoral care of mourning has taken on a new meaning in the Church’s ministry in Ukraine,” he emphasized.
The congress concluded with Sunday Mass, led by Cardinal Virgilio. After the service, parish employees were given a mandate to serve. The congress was attended by 500 people from various regions of Sardinia.
Secretariat of the Head of the UGCC in Rome
