Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 148th Week of Full-Scale War, December 15, 2024
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
We are now in the 148th week of the horrendous war, which we call the full-scale invasion. This week, once again, was marked by air attacks, destruction, bloodshed, tears, and heavy battles along the entire front line, particularly near our heroic Pokrovsk.
This week, we especially prayed for the innocent victims of the atrocity in Zaporizhzhia, where around 10 people lost their lives, and several dozen were injured, including small children.
Ukraine also endured another massive air attack launched by the Russian aggressors: approximately 300 aerial weapons were deployed across the country, including nearly 150 missiles of various types. The primary target of these attacks was the energy infrastructure of our cities and villages.
We are deeply grateful to the Lord and to our Armed Forces for preserving our lives. We also extend our gratitude to our rescuers, who tirelessly restore the damaged infrastructure. Today, we often say that the face of hope in Ukraine is the face of energy.
We thank our medical workers for once again saving dozens of lives. We are grateful to the employees of various law enforcement agencies and institutions who ensured not only the restoration of energy supplies but also the provision of heat and food to our towns and villages.
Today, we also want to express our gratitude to all Ukrainians who do not escape from Ukraine, who live here and—what is more—sacrifice their lives so that Ukraine is not lost. Once again, we want the entire world to hear: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!
This week, a regular session of the Permanent Synod of Bishops of our Church was held in Kyiv, our capital. Bishops from the United States, Canada, Poland, and Ukraine worked together to coordinate the life of our Church, ensuring it serves God and the Ukrainian people both at home and in the diaspora.
There were several central themes that we discussed. One of them was the advocacy of Ukraine and Ukrainian affairs at the international level. We worked to ensure that our faithful receive adequate pastoral care. Our Permanent Synod is preparing for the session of the Great Synod, where the central theme will be the pastoral care of families in times of war.
We also tried to assess how the decisions of last year’s Great Synod on evangelization are being implemented. We witnessed how various communities and youth organizations became more active in sharing the Gospel of Christ across different cultures and countries.
The Permanent Synod is constantly evolving.
We intentionally chose Kyiv as the venue to ensure strong representation from the Ukrainian authorities. We have talked with the authorities of Germany, the United States, and other countries, but the dialogue between the church and the Ukrainian state is also one of the priorities of our work and activities.
We visited the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Mr. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andrii Sybiha, and his team. These discussions were insightful and focused on coordinating our activities for the future.
We also visited our seminary brothers at the Kyiv Three Saints Theological Seminary. We wanted to show that we are not only in touch with the powerful, but also with the future of our Church. We wanted our seminarians to understand what their Church is like today, what circumstances they are preparing for service, and thus to feel the respect of their bishops and the expectations that our laity, communities, and parishes in different parts of Ukraine and the world have for future priests.
It is no coincidence that we chose Kyiv as the venue for this session so that we could have a proper level and representation of the Ukrainian authorities. We have talked with the authorities of Germany, the United States, and other countries, but the dialogue between the church and the Ukrainian state is also one of the priorities of our work and activities.
We visited the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Mr. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Andrii Sybiha, and his team. These were extremely interesting and in-depth discussions on how to coordinate our activities and plan them for the coming period.
We also visited our seminary brothers at the Kyiv Three Saints Theological Seminary. We wanted to show that we are not only in touch with the powerful, but also with the future of our Church. We wanted our seminarians to understand what their Church is like today, what circumstances they are preparing for service, and thus to feel the respect of their bishops and the expectations that our laity, communities, and parishes in different parts of Ukraine and the world have for future priests.
Interestingly, along with the work of the Permanent Synod, other events were taking place here in our residence, in our administrative center near the Patriarchal Cathedral. Our house was filled with children’s laughter. The feast of St. Nicholas opened the whole season of preparation for Christmas. Thousands of children, including children who lost their parents in the war, orphans, and displaced children, could rediscover their ability to smile in the home of the Head of the Church in Kyiv. Pope Francis said that Ukrainian children do not smile anymore because of the tragedy of war. Here, as they experienced God’s love through the mystery of Christmas and encountered representatives of St. Nicholas, the children felt truly happy. Receiving gifts and signs of care and attention, they rediscovered joy. We saw how smiling and bright their faces were when they returned home. And they said they wanted to come back to that house again, the house where they were so cozy, warm and welcome. Our home was blessed with children’s laughter.
Today, as we prepare for Christmas, we want to remind everyone once again that there is no Christmas without Jesus. Christmas is a birth, and there is no birth without a newborn. And our children have learned how to wait for and welcome the newborn Savior, who is coming to come to every home on Christmas Day.
God bless Ukraine! God bless the children of Ukraine! O God, support those who are giving up! Lord, only you can wipe away the tears of those who have lost their loved ones. Lord Jesus, you are our hope. And the Jubilee Year 2025, for which we are preparing in the Universal Church, will be dedicated to this hope.
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always, now and forever, and for the ages of ages. Amen.
