UGCC Head Urges Monks and Nuns of the Congregation of the Incarnate Word Worldwide to Be the Voice of Suffering Ukraine
On July 17, the Ivano-Frankivsk Theological Seminary hosted a significant meeting between the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, and monks from the Monastic Family of the Incarnate Word from around the world. During the meeting, the Primate urged everyone to become the voice of suffering Ukraine in every corner of the world. The meeting was held in Spanish.
Monks and nuns from the Global South, China, Africa, and Western Europe gathered in Ukraine to celebrate the episcopal ordination of Bishop Teodor Matsapula, the new ruling bishop of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy, who also belongs to the Congregation of the Incarnate Word.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav highlighted the importance of communicating with representatives of the Global South in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war: “We see that the truth about Ukraine is very slowly reaching the countries of Latin America and Africa today. And we, as a Church, are seeking the necessary means to communicate the truth about Ukraine to those places where it is least known today.”
In his opening statement, the Head of the UGCC spoke about the tragedy of the war and the trauma it inflicted on the Ukrainian people. He also referred to the dangerous ideology of the “Russian world.” “Today, this ideology, as a modern Christian heresy, is threatening the credibility of the preaching of the Gospel of Christ.”
The meeting continued in a question-and-answer format.
Afterward, the monks of the Congregation of the Incarnate Word received a translation of the Message of the UGCC Synod of Bishops on War and Just Peace in six languages. His Beatitude Sviatoslav personally presented each of them with this document so they could spread the truth about Ukraine in their respective countries.
The provincial superior of the Sisters of the Monastic Family of the Incarnate Word in Ukraine, Sister Maria Hoshivska, in a commentary for the UGCC Department for Information, shared that it was extremely important for monks from different parts of the world to hear the words of the Patriarch of the Martyr Church.
“We are very grateful to His Beatitude Sviatoslav for conveying the word of truth about the war and what we are going through,” said Sr. Maria. “In different parts of the world, people have different opinions and information about the war in Ukraine. That is why it is critical to hear the truthful word of the Church, in particular our Patriarch, in this war.”
Fr. Gonzalo Ruiz from Italy also shared his impressions of the meeting. He emphasized that he feels it is “a moral obligation to pray more for peace and to transmit what he heard here to the country in which he lives.”
The UGCC Department for Information
Photo by Teodor Kudlyk
