Video Message of the Head of the UGCC on the 209th Week of the Full-Scale War, February 15, 2026
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
This Sunday marks the 209th week of a devastating, bloody war. They call it a “full-scale invasion,” although we know that the war began back in 2014.
This week has once again been marked by crimes, yet it has also been a week of fighting for life, humanity, warmth, and light.
According to reports, fierce battles have been raging all week along the entire front line. We pray for our soldiers, our defenders in the Zaporizhzhia sector, in the Pokrovsk sector, in Donetsk, in Kupiansk — everywhere our boys and girls are defending Ukraine, Europe, and the world from Russian destruction, risking their lives.
Everyone understands that wherever the Russian occupiers set foot, life ends, and with it all other manifestations of human dignity, rights, and freedoms.
In recent days, our beloved Odesa has come under heavy attack. Yet our capital, the city of Kyiv, remains the epicenter of daily strikes. During these days, another thermal power plant was destroyed. And the people of Kyiv continue to demonstrate their heroism, resilience, and optimism, overcoming the hardships that have befallen us.
This week, the attention of Ukrainians and of the entire world was also focused on the Olympic Games taking place in Italy. Ukrainian society was deeply dismayed by the decision of the International Olympic Committee to disqualify our team’s flag bearer, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for wearing a “helmet of remembrance” meant to remind the world that Ukraine remembers its heroes. Our skeleton racer proved that there are values even more precious than Olympic medals.
We are especially grateful to Pope Leo XIV, who reminded the world that the Olympic Games were once a time of peace. He called for an end to all wars and hostilities. Unfortunately, few listened to the voice of the successor to the Apostle Peter.
Today, we wish to express our deep gratitude to all those who stand in solidarity with Ukraine. Last week, collections were held in various parishes, dioceses, and eparchies across Europe, particularly in Poland, as well as in all our parishes, dioceses, and exarchates in Western Europe, to support the needs of Ukraine, and especially Kyiv.
I want to thank all those who donated — sometimes even their last penny — to save the people of Kyiv and those who are now enduring what has been called a “frost famine,” as the enemy seeks to destroy the peaceful population of Ukraine by weaponizing the winter cold.
We are grateful to the Polish episcopate for their special signs of solidarity and for their appeal to the Polish people to support Ukraine.
To all of you, dear brothers and sisters, to all people of good will in every country of the world, we say once again: know that Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!
Today, I would like to greet you from distant and warm Brazil, from the city of Curitiba. We have come here together with the bishops of the Permanent Synod to hold our regular sessions. Our Permanent Synod continues its work. As you remember, the last session of the Permanent Synod took place in Australia, and now we have come to our Church, to our metropolia in Brazil.
We will have the opportunity not only to visit our bishops, but also to meet with our priests, monks, nuns, and laypeople so that our entire Brazilian community may feel that Ukraine is far away, yet still close to them.
We feel how our Ukrainians here are concerned about their homeland, how their thoughts and prayers go to the places from which their ancestors came almost a century ago.
In this way, our Church is fostering a worldwide network of Ukrainian unity. This network thrives, grows, and operates within the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which is truly global.
I had the opportunity to share all of this with Pope Leo XIV this week. On my way to Brazil via Rome, I received the special grace of an audience with the Holy Father. And so it was crucial not to speak about those in power, but about ordinary people—rescuers, doctors, parents, fathers, brothers, sisters, our bishops, who are saving their people in extraordinary circumstances.
The Holy Father was very grateful that, despite such dramatic circumstances, our Church is actively working and serving. The Synod of our bishops is working, as are all other synodal structures, all commissions, departments, and divisions of the Patriarchal Curia. We respond to the needs of our people not only in humanitarian matters, but also in proclaiming the Word of God. Thus, our Church in Ukraine has grown by almost 4 % during this time. The Holy Father said, “Indeed, this is a light of hope from Ukraine.”
I introduced to the Holy Father various initiatives for cooperation between our Church and civil society, as well as international organizations, in order to establish a dialogue that builds peace and seeks a just peace for Ukraine. I personally handed Pope Leo a list of nearly 400 prisoners of war and missing persons.
I explained to the Holy Father that these lists were not taken from open sources. No. Every time I visit our parishes, our communities, in different cities and villages of Ukraine, people come, fathers, mothers, women, children, and with tears in their eyes they ask: “Help save our son, our daughter, our husband or wife.” And then I receive these names. I said, “Holy Father, what I can say today is that the names of our soldiers who are currently in captivity are now in your hands. Our people feel that their names are truly in God’s hands now.”
The Holy Father promised me that he would make every effort to find these prisoners of war and help secure their release. He said that he is praying especially for our people and accompanying them in their struggle. Every Sunday, at every general audience, the Holy Father draws attention to the suffering Ukrainian people and is our voice to the powerful of this world.
I had the opportunity to thank him for this, as well as invite him to visit Ukraine. The Holy Father responded to this invitation with great interest, and we hope that the time will come when we receive news that his visit to Ukraine is being planned for a suitable time.
Today we pray: God, bless Ukraine! Bless our young men and women on the front lines! Bless all the rescuers, medics, volunteers, all those who save lives in Ukraine and fight for humanity, for warmth and light! God, stop this war!
People start wars out of their greed and sinfulness, but God puts an end to this madness with His holiness. Our God is the God of peace.
We implore You, God, bless our Ukrainian land with Your 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!
