Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 156th Week of Full-Scale War, February 9, 2025
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
The 156th week of the Great War has come to an end. Once again, death has swept across Ukraine. Our unbreakable Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, besieged by Russian forces for months, still stands. The Russian authorities continue to send tens of thousands of their soldiers to fight and fall on the outskirts of this glorious, invincible city.
Every night, Russian drones, missiles, and guided bombs rain down on Ukrainian cities and villages. This week, our resilient Kharkiv suffered the most. Once again, the Russians bombed a central district, this time targeting a market.
Our beloved Odesa is also recovering from a missile strike that damaged its historic center, home to dozens of UNESCO-listed monuments.
Yet this week also brought good news: Ukraine has secured the return of 150 more of our servicemen from Russian captivity. We rejoice with each of them, embrace their families, and express our deep gratitude to all those who played a role in their release. We thank the churches, public organizations, and international institutions that continue working tirelessly to bring our defenders home.
As we reflect on this week, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who stand with Ukraine—through prayer, through humanitarian aid, and by advocating for our nation on the diplomatic stage. This includes the Prayer Breakfast with the new President of the United States and Ukrainian Week in Washington, D.C., both of which took place this week.
To all who stand with our long-suffering yet heroic people, we say once again: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.
This week, the 99th session of the Synod of Bishops of Ukraine was held at our Patriarchal House in Lviv. About 30 of our bishops were present, and we were especially pleased to welcome our brethren from Zakarpattia.
The central theme of this session was the Ukrainian family—because the family is not just the basic unit of society, but the heart of our nation. It is within the family that new life begins. At a time when war brings death every day, only the Ukrainian family can offer the gift of new life to our people and our country.
We recognize that if we restore the family, we restore Ukraine. If we protect and support the Ukrainian family, we strengthen our nation’s future. Today, the family stands as a center of resilience and hope.
Yet families in Ukraine are facing unprecedented hardships. Recent official statistics have been deeply alarming: in 2024, for every new marriage, there was one divorce. This means that the number of families breaking apart has nearly equaled the number of new families being formed.
Another troubling statistic is the fertility rate, which measures a nation’s ability to sustain its population. Even before the war, Ukraine’s fertility rate was only 1.54 children per family—below the 2.2 needed for stable demographic growth. Today, this figure has dropped to a tragic 0.7–0.9 children per family.
If Ukrainian families do not give birth to new generations, the light of victory over death will begin to fade. That is why the Church, alongside society and state authorities, must do everything possible to support and protect families. We must help families welcome life, so that our long-suffering nation can endure and flourish. The Church remains steadfast in this mission, offering guidance to families, preparing young people for marriage, and illuminating God’s plan for the family within the realities of today’s Ukraine. And so, we pray:
Lord, bless the Ukrainian family. Heal its wounds, restore its strength, and make it once again a community of life that overcomes death. Strengthen our spouses, grant fruitfulness to our families, and open their hearts to receive the gift of new life that You, O Lord, bestow upon them. May we all work together to safeguard the family as an icon of unity between God and humanity.
O God, bless the Ukrainian army, the men and women on the front lines. Bless our volunteers. O God, remember all prisoners and captives. Help us find those who are missing. Protect all who remain in the occupied territories. O God, receive into Your eternal dwelling all those who have given their lives for their homeland. O God, bless Ukraine and the Ukrainian people with Your just and heavenly peace.
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.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
