“We are called to anoint and heal the wounds of the long-suffering body of the Ukrainian people,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the clergy of the Kyiv Archeparchy
On Monday, March 6, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with the Kyiv Archeparchy priests participating in Lenten retreats in the Zhytomyr region.
Addressing the clergy, the Head of the UGCC noted that he wanted to devote this time, especially to the congregation of the Kyiv Archeparchy. “I thank God and each of you that we can meet alive and healthy today and begin this time of retreat together. Now each of us needs to stop and rethink everything happening around us. We must immerse ourselves in prayer and meditation on God’s Word. This is what I wish you — to experience these days deeply and in the best possible way, so that this time will be fruitful and valuable for us, and thus for our faithful, to whom we will return renewed in spirit,” the patriarch emphasized.
During the meeting, the Head of the UGCC touched upon several topics relevant to clergy, in particular, the healing of the wounds of war, which almost all Ukrainians bear today. In addition, his Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about the new strategic pastoral plan of the UGCC, which focuses on the pastoral care of the wounds of war.
“We must remember that our future depends not only on weapons but also on how well we can heal war wounds. Naturally, it will take a long time to heal all the wounds. But now, we need to work fruitfully and serve the suffering nation. Therefore, we have to be the pastors who will heal war wounds. It is not an easy mission, but for this, we have a special medicine — the Holy Sacraments, with which we are called to anoint the long-suffering body of the Ukrainian people,” the Head of the Church emphasized.
To conclude, the Patriarch called on the priests of the Kyiv Archeparchy to feel responsible every day for the mission of healing the Ukrainian people and to embrace all those who seek maternal warmth in our church. “I thank each of you for your ministry, which is difficult and often tough in this area. Each of you works hard and does your best, and we, as a church, do our best to support you in this.”
based on the materials of the press service of the Kyiv Archeparchy
