Pastoral Care for Families During Wartime: Bishop Arkadiusz Trochanowski Presents the Main Theme at the Synod of Bishops of the UGCC in Rome
On July 1, at the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church held in Rome, Bishop Arkadiusz Trochanowski, tasked with preparing the main theme, presented a comprehensive report on pastoral care for families during wartime.
The civilization of love as a response to the crisis
Opening his report with the words of St. John Paul II, Bishop Arkadiusz emphasized: “The crisis of civilization must be addressed with a civilization of love grounded in the universal values of peace, solidarity, justice, and freedom, which find their fulfillment in Christ.”
The speaker accentuated the fundamental importance of the family: “Life is most fully realized in community, especially in the smallest community—the family. The family is the place where religious relationships are formed.”
Challenges for Ukrainian families
Bishop Arkadiusz elaborated on the challenges faced by Ukrainian families as a result of the war: “Muscovite aggression has inflicted physical suffering on both women and men. Armed aggression has broken personal contacts and relationships, including those within families.”
Among the specific problems, he highlighted:
- women with children left without a father or husband;
- men on the front lines, deprived of family relationships;
- families who have lost loved ones or are separated due to emigration;
- children struggling to assimilate in a foreign environment.
Demographic crisis
The bishop also addressed demographic challenges: “According to data for the first half of 2024, there were 286 deaths per 100 births, while in 2023 there were 265 deaths per 100 births in Ukraine. Ukraine is entering a critical phase of demographic decline, and solving this problem must become a national priority.”
The pro-family movement as a response
Bishop Arkadiusz introduced a comprehensive program of support for families: “Today in Ukraine, there are many wounded families. We need the witness of married couples who can share their life experiences as believers, for whom faith is a core value.”
He outlined few key initiatives:
- pre-marriage preparation centers;
- the Marriage Encounters community;
- Christian family movements;
- the program “From Family to Family: Witness, Grow, Serve.”
Canonical challenges
The speaker also noted canonical problems resulting from the war: “A widespread and glaring problem is ‘previous life histories’—previous marriages that have not been canonically annulled. Many married couples live with this ‘burden.’”
The crisis of priestly families
A separate section of the report was focused on the challenges facing priestly families: “Wartime and the post-war period are times for forming spiritual leaders—priests. But today the priesthood demands tremendous spiritual work.”
Strategic recommendations
Bishop Arkadiusz proposed a three-stage strategy for implementing pastoral care for families.
At the parish level: organizing thematic meetings, pastoral visits to young married couples, and support for families in crisis.
At the eparchial level: creation of family centers, organization of premarital courses, formation of a database of specialists.
At the patriarchal level: formation of a scientific base, host nationwide events, coordination of pro-family structures.
Call to action
Concluding his report, Bishop Arkadiusz emphasized: “Parishes of the UGCC must occupy an important place in open pastoral care. This is a safe space where families can bear witness to their faith, to a life of prayer, and uphold God’s commandments.”
Joint presentations
As part of the work on the main theme of the 2025 Synod of Bishops of the UGCC, the following speakers delivered joint presentations alongside Bishop Arkadiusz:
- Yuriy Pidlisnyy, Deputy Head of the Patriarchal Commission on Family and Laity, presented on the situation of Ukrainian refugees in EU countries and North America;
- Maria Trakalo, psychologist and co-founder of the mental health hub Diyaty (“YouAct”), delivered a presentation titled The Mental State of Ukrainian Families During the War;
- Fr. Ihor Boiko, rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary in Lviv and head of the School of Bioethics at the Ukrainian Catholic University, addressed the topic Supporting Families in Mourning;
- Roman and Natalia Prokopiv, leaders of the Christian Families Movement, spoke on Experience of Working with Families During Wartime.
In the afternoon, Synod members participated in group discussions focused on the central theme.
The Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is being held at the Ukrainian Papal College of St. Josaphat in Rome from June 30 to July 10. The main theme is “Pastoral Care for Families in Wartime.” This year’s Synod opened on June 29 with a Holy Mass celebrated by Pope Leo XIV at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. A day earlier, on June 28, the bishops of the UGCC took part in a jubilee pilgrimage to the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
The UGCC Department for Information
