Address by the Head of the UGCC for the 227th Week of the Full-Scale War, June 21, 2026
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
This Sunday marks the 227th week of the horrific, devastating, and sacrilegious war that Russia continues to wage on the territory of our free, independent, and peaceful Ukrainian land.
I believe that this week will go down in the history of world culture and of Christianity as a whole because of what took place overnight into Monday. We endured one of the most intense nighttime attacks on Kyiv since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. In just one hour, more than 30 missiles were launched at Kyiv. But the most devastating strike hit the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. Those who still held out hope that the Russian occupiers might uphold some moral, ethical, or Christian limits to their aggression have now been stripped of those illusions once and for all.
The Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a special cathedral. It was built in accordance with a specific revelation from the Mother of God to the Pechersk monks, who herself indicated the place where she wished to build her home. And the Mother of God’s home at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was struck by a drone attack.
Perhaps this is a coincidence, but it seems that the Lord God deliberately revealed the inner intentions of our hearts, because the timing of this event was no accident. Just last Sunday, we celebrated Sunday of All Saints of Rus’-Ukraine. That is, together with our Orthodox brothers, we celebrated our roots in Kyiv Christianity, commemorating our baptizers Volodymyr and Olha, and remembering the founders of monastic life in Rus’—the ascetics of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, whose incorrupt relics rest today in the caves of this ancient monastery.
Meanwhile, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrated the memory of all the saints who shone forth in the Russian land. And it was on this very day that this strike hit the ancient monastery. And here, everything that was hidden became clear. We realized that, in the mind of the Russian aggressor, Rus’ is not Russia. The ancient Kyiv state, whose history they seek to appropriate for themselves, has never been part of their culture, worldview, or identity. With this attack, they revealed that Kyiv is not Russian land. Throughout history, the princes of Moscow have repeatedly attacked Kyiv, burning and looting it. The same thing happened with the fire at the Assumption Cathedral and again tonight.
But most importantly, we understood that the history of Kyiv Christianity is very different from the history of Moscow piety. And the history of holiness at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has nothing in common with Moscow piety.
We pray for all those who are destroying our holy sites, that they may be converted. But this has shown that this war is truly a sacrilegious war—a war in which ideals are destroyed, moral principles are violated, and the name of God is despised.
Once again, we would like to thank the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Lord God for helping us survive this past week. We have endured unprecedented attacks not only on Kyiv, but also on Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv.
We are grateful to Pope Leo for speaking about these tragedies in the life of Christians in Ukraine during his recent General Audience, and for remembering the Ukrainian rescuers who lost their lives in Kharkiv while saving others. Once again, we want to declare to the whole world that Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, and Ukraine prays!
This Sunday, we celebrate two deeply significant spiritual occasions.
First, here in Kyiv, together with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters, we have begun commemorating a very special anniversary—the 25th anniversary of Saint Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to Ukraine. He was a holy pope, a pope whom we call the Pope of Ukrainian sovereignty, the Pope of Ukrainian-Polish reconciliation, the pope who healed the wounds of the Ukrainian people with the balm of forgiveness and the healing of historical memory.
Today, we celebrated a joint Holy Mass at St. Alexander’s Cathedral. Throughout the week, a variety of academic, cultural, spiritual, and liturgical events will take place in Kyiv, Lviv, and other cities associated with this memorable visit.
We especially invoke the heavenly intercession of Saint Pope John Paul II for Ukraine. We ask him to intercede for an end to this war.
Interestingly, something similar has happened before. I vividly remember the day of Pope John Paul II’s canonization in 2014, when Kyiv was bracing for an attack from Moscow. Why that attack never came remains a great mystery. Even the Russian aggressor does not fully understand it. Yet it seems that, at that moment, Saint John Paul II protected both Ukraine and Russia from this sacrilegious war.
Therefore, today we ask him once again to help bring this war to an end.
Today, in accordance with a tradition observed throughout much of Europe, we also celebrate Father’s Day. We pray for all the fathers of Ukraine, especially those who have been compelled to take up arms to defend the lives of their children. We pray that they may be authentic and faithful icons of the Heavenly Father, reflecting in their own lives the fatherhood that comes from God the Father.
We pray that the Lord God may grant them the day when they can return safely to their families and children.
We pray: Lord, stop the war. Bless Ukraine with Your just and heavenly 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!
