A Just Peace Is Justice for the Future: His Beatitude Sviatoslav
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, shared his reflections on the essence of a just peace for the Ukrainian people in a pre-Christmas interview with the We Are Ukraine TV channel.
When asked what a just peace means in the current context, he emphasized: “According to the Holy Scriptures, peace has a source—it does not arise on its own. The mother of peace is justice, and its foundation is the law of God.”
The Head of the Church highlighted several key elements of a just peace for Ukraine: the de-occupation of territories, compensation for the damage inflicted, and respect for the victims and the families who have lost loved ones.
“However, the most crucial prerequisite for such peace is to name the perpetrator, expose their crimes, and condemn them—not out of revenge, but to prevent such experiences from being repeated. This is justice for the future,” he underscored.
According to the Primate, only after justice is restored can we move toward the next step—forgiveness. “Forgiveness is the process of healing personal wounds and traumas that each of us has endured,” he explained.
The path to a just peace, he acknowledged, is long and difficult. Yet, “in the mystery of Christmas, we feel that such a peace is attainable. What seems humanly impossible is more than possible with God,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav concluded.
The UGCC Department for Information
