UGCC Head in the 133 rd Week of War: Russians Steal Not Only the Opportunity to Study but Also the Childhood of Ukrainian Students
Today, we are particularly concerned about the students who won’t be able to attend school this year. This was stated by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on the 133 rd week of the great sacrilegious war that the Russian aggressor brought to peaceful Ukrainian land.
A student near the destroyed school in Bakhmut, photo by Serhiy Nuzhnenko / Radio Liberty
The Primate noted that this week will likely be remembered as a time of maximum escalation of hatred and senselessness. “Indeed, hatred blinds not only an individual, but even entire nations, entire armies of the world, politicians, and heads of state,” he said.
On the night of August 26, the Head of the Church said, the Russian army launched the largest massive air attack on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. “However, the Russians will not succeed in intimidating and subduing the Ukrainian people. We are grateful to the Lord God, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, our air defense servicemen for surviving this unprecedented attack,” the spiritual leader said and added: “And we want to say once again: Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!”
At the same time, this week will be remembered in the history of Ukraine, Europe, and the world as a time of healing relations and dialogue. “A special delegation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate headed by Metropolitan Hilarion of Winnipeg of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church visited Ukraine… We were comforted by the visit of these guests to our Patriarchal Cathedral. It is evident that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is trying to heal the wounds that Ukrainian Orthodoxy is undergoing today. In addition, this week was marked by an important intellectual event in the metropolitan chambers of St. Sophia of Kyiv: we presented a Ukrainian translation of the publication Ecumenical Mission of the Eastern Catholic Churches of Europe Today. This is a translation of the materials from the Meeting of the Eastern Catholic Bishops of Europe, which took place in the Apostolic Capital, the Vatican, on September 12–14, 2019.”
In his opinion, these materials show how, especially in 2019, Kyivan Christianity asserted its identity and engaged in deep international relations within global Christianity, both in its Orthodox dimension and as represented by the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
September 1 is traditionally the Knowledge Day in Ukraine. On September 2, millions of young Ukrainians, pupils and students of educational institutions, will start a new academic year.
On this occasion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav congratulated both students and teachers, professors, educators and their parents on the beginning of the new school year.
The Head of the Church expressed regret that nearly 250,000 Ukrainians have been forced to leave the educational system in Ukraine: “It is a great pain for Ukrtaine. Russians deprive students not only of the opportunity to study, but also of their childhood.”
“I wish all our educators peaceful and safe studies. I hope they can finally leave the online world behind and meet with students in the classroom. May the Lord God, our Savior, Teacher, bless all of you and grant you a successful, peaceful, fruitful, educational year 2024–2025!” the spiritual leader wished.
The UGCC Department for Information
