The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Prays for Peace in Ukraine at the Tomb of St. John Paul II in the Vatican
On October 22, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, participated in Holy Mass at the tomb of St. John Paul II in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. The Mass, celebrated on the occasion of the liturgical commemoration of the saintly pope, was presided over by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.
Numerous faithful and more than 100 priests took part in the Mass.
In his homily, Cardinal Pietro Parolin referred to the reflections of the young Bishop Karol Wojtyła, who, in 1962, looking at the floor of St. Peter’s Basilica, wrote the poem “The Floor”: “Do you want to be the floor here, for others to walk over you… to go where you lead their steps?”
“Following the example of the Apostle Peter, Saint John Paul II was also that floor upon which the faith of many people walked toward Christ. This floor—that is, his devotion to Christ—became not only a model but also a support, a pillar, and a guide for many believers,” the cardinal noted.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel passage, in which Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” (cf. John 21:15–17), the Secretary of State emphasized that Karol Wojtyła had likely asked himself this question more than once, while also fulfilling Jesus’ command to strengthen his brothers in the faith. Just as Peter’s response testified to his deep unity with the Savior, John Paul II, too, experienced a special closeness to the Lord, above all in prayer.
“At those moments, he could be seen completely immersed in a deep and gentle dialogue with Jesus,” Cardinal Parolin recalled.
At the end of his homily, the cardinal called on the faithful to turn to the saintly pope, asking for his intercession for peace in the world.
“Today we turn to him with the request that he continue to intercede before the Lord for the whole world at this time, when it is suffering from wars. Through him, we ask God for the gift of peace, which will be engraved in people’s minds, as he stated in 2005: ‘Peace is a blessing that must be sustained by goodwill… However, it is the blessing that must be safeguarded and nurtured through decisions and actions directed toward the good,’” the cardinal emphasized.
During the Mass, His Beatitude Sviatoslav prayed for the intercession of Saint John Paul II to bring an end to the war in Ukraine, establish a just peace, and foster reconciliation between the Polish and Ukrainian peoples.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Saint John Paul II’s apostolic visit to Ukraine, which took place from June 23 to 27, 2001. During the visit, the pope travelled to Kyiv and Lviv, met with numerous faithful, and called for growth in faith, solidarity, and reconciliation.
The UGCC Department for Information
