It is vital that on this sad anniversary the world hear about the pain of Ukraine: Head of the UGCC on the 105th week of the war
We have personally witnessed what we once read about in books or heard about at various international conferences — the genocide of the Ukrainian people. This was stated by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on the 105th week of the great war that Russia continues to wage against our homeland.
Mother, child, and pregnant woman killed by Russian missile attack in Selydove, Donetsk region, on February 14. Russians shelled hospital and residential buildings: National Police of Ukraine
The Primate noted that this week will be long remembered by all Ukrainians as a time of the tragedy around the city of Avdiivka in our long-suffering Donbas…
His Beatitude Sviatoslav stated that a regular session of the Synod of Bishops of the Church in Ukraine took place last week. The central theme of its searches, reflections, studies, and work was the pastoral care of the Ukrainian family in the conditions of war.
“We are confronted with a terrible reality,” the spiritual leader reflects, “the war has wounded the very heart of Ukrainian society, the family, forcing many members into forced separation. Furthermore, we have observed the emergence of new categories of families in our country. Approximately 200,000 Ukrainian families have a member who is seriously wounded: a son, father, husband, or child; 35,000 have a missing relative, and another 50,000 have a family member who is missing an arm or leg.”
“All this falls heavily on the shoulders of the family,” the Head of the UGCC notes with regret, “Therefore, our Church today is undertaking a new kind of ministry, which can be called the pastoral care of people who are grieving and do not know how to rebuild their lives.”
These days, he said, we are marking the tenth anniversary of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and next week we will commemorate another sad date — the second anniversary of the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukrainian lands by Russian troops.
“It is vital that on these sad anniversaries, the world hears about the pain of Ukraine and condemns the genocide of the Ukrainian people committed by Russia. Prayer is our strength in these circumstances,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav said.
The Synod of Bishops proclaimed February 24, 2024, as the Day of Prayer and Fasting for the end of the war, for the triumph of good over evil, for a just peace, and for the victory of Ukraine over those who came to kill us. On this day, the Primate invites all the faithful and people of goodwill to join together in prayerful standing before the face of God.
At 9 AM Kyiv time, Zhyve Television will start a marathon of continuous joint prayer of the Church, which will last 12 hours.
The UGCC Department for Information
