“We Are Not a Territory; We Are a People,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav in an Interview with Italian TV Channel TV2000
“Peace is not the silence of cemeteries, but the fullness of life that comes from the Risen Lord.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, emphasized this during an appearance on Chiesa Viva, a program on Italian television channel TV2000, on Monday, October 26.
Responding to a question about the significance of the international meeting for peace currently taking place in Assisi and bringing together religious and political leaders from around the world, the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church highlighted three key words: prayer, encounter, and peace.
According to him, prayer allows us to draw peace from its primary source—God—and spread it among people throughout the world, while encounter helps break down walls between people, build bridges between religions, and heal the collective memory of nations.
“Peace is a gift that becomes a remedy for wounded nations,” the Primate noted. He emphasized that war destroys and cannot serve as a means of resolving problems, as it only exacerbates them.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav paid particular attention to the humanitarian dimension of diplomacy and the need to protect people suffering from Russian aggression. Speaking about his meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Friday, October 23, he noted that he had presented the Holy Father with an updated list of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The Head of the UGCC explained that he collects these names during pastoral visits to parishes, where the prisoners’ mothers and wives share their pain and ask for help.
“Many families tell me: ‘We are not a territory; we are a people,’” the Primate emphasized. According to him, when it comes to peace negotiations, it is not enough to focus solely on territorial issues. “We must care for the well-being of the people living in these territories. We must care for the dignity of the human person. We must protect life. This is precisely what must be at the forefront of diplomatic discussions,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav stressed.
The Head of the UGCC continued: “When discussing mediation for peace or creating the conditions for achieving it, we must think first and foremost not about the price of diesel fuel or other energy sources, but about people and their lives.”
Referring to Pope Leo XIV’s call for “an unarmed and disarming peace” the Head of the UGCC emphasized the need to balance Ukraine’s right to self-defense with the responsibility to preserve human life.
“The Holy Father’s call is a prophetic voice: let us direct our resources not toward death, but toward life,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav urged. At the same time, he noted that the Ukrainian people genuinely need help defending themselves, while observing the principle of proportionality in the use of weapons.
He drew attention to the dangerous advancement of weaponry, particularly drones equipped with artificial intelligence and video surveillance systems, as well as the growing number of attacks on civilians using these weapons.
“Ukraine needs weapons, but it also needs you—your solidarity, your prayers, and your human and Christian empathy,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav said. He called for resources to be directed not only toward defense but also toward sustaining life, providing humanitarian aid, and welcoming Ukrainian refugees.
Secretariat of the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Rome
