Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 174th Week of Full-Scale War, June 15, 2025
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
It has now been 174 weeks since the Ukrainian people began their nationwide resistance against Russia’s brutal invasion of our peaceful country. This week, once again, has been marked by intense fighting and the shelling of our towns and villages. Our heroic city of Kharkiv has been particularly hard hit. For several nights in a row, the city has come under heavy fire from a variety of weapons. Multi-story buildings were set ablaze, and rescuers searched through the rubble for the dead. Many civilians were injured, suffering wounds of varying severity.
This week, reports from various international institutions confirmed a staggering milestone: the number of Russian casualties in Ukraine—killed and wounded—has exceeded one million. These are irreversible human losses. Yet the Russian leadership continues to pursue its political goals by military means. Despite sending millions of soldiers to near-certain death, it has failed to achieve any of its objectives. We once again thank God and the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the gift of life. We are grateful that we can still live, work, pray, and continue our struggle. In particular, we thank our air defense forces—because nearly every night, Kyiv is targeted by increasingly powerful aerial attacks. Yet our defenders stand strong.
We are also deeply grateful to everyone who made the recent large-scale prisoner-of-war exchange possible. This week, Ukraine welcomed back many of its heroes, including seriously wounded soldiers and young men under the age of 25. The nation embraces them with tears of joy. Additionally, the bodies of more than a thousand fallen defenders have been returned home to rest with honor.
This week, Ukraine laid to rest those who gave their lives for our homeland. Despite the superhuman effort required to defend our land—despite treating the wounded daily, burying our dead, supporting our soldiers, feeding the hungry, and sheltering those displaced from newly evacuated areas—we declare once again to the entire world: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.
This week, a deeply moving event took place in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Pope Leo XIV for personally receiving a delegation of our children from Kharkiv in private audience.
The children shared with the Holy Father the story of Marichka—a young girl from our parish of St. Nicholas—her life, her faith, and her tragic death. Pope Leo’s words and his blessing brought comfort and healing to their wounded hearts, filling them with renewed hope. He gave meaning to their pilgrimage of hope to the Eternal City.
Sadly, this week also brought sorrow. Following yet another air strike, Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral—the oldest church and Christian shrine in Eastern Europe—was damaged. Construction of this cathedral began under Prince Volodymyr and was completed in the 11th century. This sacred site, the mother church of all Christian churches in Eastern Europe, including those of our northern neighbor, is not only a treasure of our spiritual heritage but also a masterpiece of sacred art.
St. Sophia Cathedral is the only church that survived the destruction of Kyiv by the Mongol-Tatars in 1240. Its mosaics are unparalleled in their historical and artistic value. Tragically, the barbarians of today show no reverence even for their own spiritual heritage, which includes this irreplaceable monument.
On behalf of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, we raised our voice as early as March 2022, warning the world of the danger facing this cathedral. Today, we repeat our urgent appeal: every air strike on Kyiv is a deadly threat to this priceless treasure of spirituality, history, and Christian architecture in Eastern Europe. The world must know and act to help us preserve this heritage of humanity and the Christian faith, which is under threat night after night.
Let us also remember that Russian attacks spare no church or denomination. Over the course of 174 weeks of full-scale war, 670 churches have been destroyed, including the Cathedral of the Moscow Patriarchate in Odesa. More than 60 clergymen of various faiths have been killed. Just recently, on May 28, our Church of Sts. Peter and Paul in Myrnohrad, Donetsk region, was severely damaged.
Let us unite to stop the destructive and murderous violence of the barbarians of the third millennium!
Today, in harmony with the rhythm of the Byzantine liturgical tradition, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. This Sunday, which follows the Feast of Pentecost, invites us to reflect on the fruits of the Holy Spirit at work in humanity and in the history of Christ’s Church. The holiness of the saints—their witness, suffering, and even martyrdom—reveals the holiness of the Holy Spirit and His grace.
Today, we see this holiness in the sacrificial love of Ukraine’s children, for God is love. “Whoever remains in love remains in God,” says St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. Through their heroic love, the Christians of Ukraine dwell in the very holiness of God.
We also celebrate today the communion of saints—a unique and profound mystery of the Christian faith. We believe all the saints, now alive in God’s presence, remain close to us. They intercede for those who suffer and walk the path of faith on earth. Today, all the saints are with us.
Though we struggle with our human frailty, the Church leads us to holiness through the power and action of the Holy Spirit. And so today we implore: “All saints, of all times and nations, pray for us!”
We pray: Lord, bless our Ukraine—its children and faithful—with Your righteous, 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.
