Video Message of the Head of the UGCC on the 192nd Week of the Full-Scale War, October 19, 2025
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
This Sunday marks the 192 nd week since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of peaceful Ukrainian territory. Yet we know that the war began back in 2014. For more than eleven years, our land has been shedding the innocent blood of Ukraine’s defenders and civilians every day.
This week witnessed another wave of intense fighting along the front lines of our homeland. The epicenters of the conflict were the combat operations in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. Our defenders are making extraordinary efforts not only to stop an enemy that outnumbers us in manpower and weaponry, but even to repel them—counterattacking and liberating our cities and villages.
Once again, we express our gratitude to God and to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for being alive and able to serve God and the Ukrainian people.
This week will go down in history as one marked by massive strikes launched by Russian troops against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Emergency power cuts were introduced in almost all regions of Ukraine. We are grateful to our energy workers who tirelessly labor day and night to restore light and heat to our cities and villages. Just imagine how, in a large city during the cold season, without light, heat, or water, high-rise buildings turn into cold death traps where it becomes simply impossible to live.
Invincibility centers continue to operate. In our parishes and monasteries, we are doing everything possible to warm Ukrainians and provide all necessary assistance in these extraordinary circumstances.
We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for raising his voice in defense of Ukraine’s civilian population and reiterating that such crimes are a violation of international law, calling for an immediate end to the terror against peaceful Ukrainians.
On the night of October 17, a massive strike almost destroyed the infrastructure of our large city of Kryvyi Rih. Nonetheless, we want the entire world to hear: no attacks, no strikes, no crimes committed by Russian troops will break Ukraine’s strength and will—our desire to live and our determination to fight for freedom.
Therefore, today we once again proclaim to the whole world: Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!
These days, we are on a special mission — a tribute visit of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to Norway. Religious leaders of Ukraine from various denominations, and even different religions, are carrying out an advocacy mission to defend our people and our state. This visit gave us the opportunity to meet our community in Oslo, the capital of Norway, this Sunday. Together with Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, our Apostolic Exarch for Germany and Scandinavia, we sought to meet with our people, visit our embassy, and do everything possible to ensure that our faithful — our people living in this Scandinavian country today — feel that their Mother Church cares for them and surrounds them with her pastoral love.
In the coming days, we will meet with the King of Norway to address him with the Word of God. We will also meet with the Norwegian Bible Society and leaders of various denominations to truly convey the truth about Ukraine and to enlist the support of European Christians in all matters essential for saving human lives in Ukraine today.
This week will also be remembered for another important international event. We express our gratitude to the Conference of Polish Catholic Bishops, who, in the final document and statement of their assembly, defended Ukrainian immigrants in Poland. They spoke about the need to respect the rights of our people, about the unacceptability of xenophobia and of manipulating the tragedy of war refugees for political purposes. On the contrary, the Polish Catholic bishops called for solidarity with Ukraine and urged that everything be done to restrain the Russian aggressor and protect Europe from the horrors of war.
We thank our brother bishops in Poland and hope that their voice will be heard in other countries of Europe and around the world, so that the dignity of not only Ukrainian emigrants but of all those forced to leave their homeland in difficult circumstances will be respected. That our people, in particular, may find a dignified place in their new countries of residence.
Our Church follows a special principle of pastoral care for our emigrants, expressed in the words: “Integration — yes. Assimilation — no.” We are ready to provide the necessary pastoral and even legal assistance so that our people feel protected in the countries where they now live. And we thank all Christians and all people of good will who show hospitality to our people — welcoming them not only into their countries and homes but also into their hearts.
This week was also a special week of praying the Rosary for peace in the world and, in particular, for an end to the war in Ukraine. October 14 marked the fifth anniversary of the Rosary Unites initiative — a daily prayer at 8 p.m. Kyiv time that brings together thousands, even tens of thousands, of people around the world. I thank all those who pray daily for our Ukraine, for our long-suffering people.
I especially thank our children who responded to the initiative of St. Josaphat School in Toronto this week and spent October 13 praying the Rosary for Ukraine. I ask you, dear children, every month, on the thirteenth day, not to forget to unite in this powerful prayer, which is capable of stopping wars in the world — and, in particular, the war in Ukraine.
We implore: God, bless us! Restore our strength with Your blessing. Strengthen our hope with Your blessing. God, bless us! May Your blessing be the balm and medicine of the Holy Spirit for our wounds. God, bless us! Bring us light in the darkness. God, bless us and send Your heavenly, righteous peace to our Church, to our people, to our heroic, long-suffering Ukraine!
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.
