“We are not only passion-bearing people; we are people of heroes and winners,” the Head of the UGCC said during the meeting with students of Prykarpattia
On Thursday, February 16, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, met with students of the Carpathian region at King Danylo University in Ivano-Frankivsk as part of his archpastoral visit. As a result, by the decision of the Academic Council, His Beatitude Sviatoslav was awarded the title of an honorary doctorate of this university.
The Primate noted that now it is essential for all of us to have the opportunity to communicate in real life, to be together and strengthen our spirituality, to support each other, or simply to smile.
The Head of the UGCC congratulated King Danylo University on its recent 25th anniversary and drew an interesting parallel with the 1125th anniversary of Halych.
The Primate spoke about the challenges of the war that the Ukrainian people and youth are facing now.
“The ideological grounds of this war are that someone wants to break the power of law, civil or international. They want to impose on us a blind, irrational, and brutal idea that ‘the law belongs to the one who has the power.’ We see what is happening now in the occupied territories,” said the Head of the UGCC.
He also recalled the feat of the imprisoned priests, who are now tortured to prove the unfounded accusations. Afterward, His Beatitude reminded all those present that the grounds of any law is natural law, which is that God created man and gave him reasoning and will. Therefore, we are all bearers of rational and intelligent human nature, and thus we can provide the legal environment in which we live.
“The motto that leads us to Ukraine’s victory is ‘I believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine!’ But to hold this victory, which we will win, we must say to ourselves: ‘I believe in the Ukrainian family!’. For if young girls and boys today do not dare to start families in Ukraine and give birth to children here. For whom are we fighting, in the name of what are we gaining our independence?” the Primate concluded.
Then the students could put questions to the Head of the UGCC. Responding to them, His Beatitude Sviatoslav spoke about the role of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the calendar issue, the further steps of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and military chaplaincy.
He also added that the best result of the trip to the Vatican, a powerful ‘venue’ of international law, was the words of Pope Francis: “I see that there is no longer a Catholic Ukraine, an Orthodox Ukraine, a Protestant Ukraine, a Jewish Ukraine or a Muslim Ukraine… Today, all children are saving their mother, Ukraine.”
The patriarch said that the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church would work on the following areas: healing the wounds of war, physical and spiritual; supporting the family institution; helping internally displaced persons and people who have left the country.
He shared the news, which the youth greeted by loud applause: “On February 24, marking a year since the brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will hold a national moment of silence to honor all victims of the war in Ukraine.”
Subsequently, the alumni obtained their diplomas.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav was also honored, receiving an honorary doctorate from King Danylo University.
“I want to dedicate this honorary doctorate to Ukrainian youth because today they are fighting for the freedom of our homeland, bearing it on their shoulders. The heaviest burden of the war fell on the young people,” thanked the Head of the UGCC.
The UGCC Department for Information
based on the materials of the department for information of Ivano-Frankivsk Archeparchy
