Address by the Head of the UGCC for the 230th Week of the Full-Scale War, July 12, 2026
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
This Sunday marks the 230th week since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of peaceful Ukrainian soil. Two hundred and thirty weeks of heroic struggle, prayer, solidarity, and profound love for our Motherland, for our people, and for those most in need.
This week has once again been marked by violence in Ukraine. The enemy, exploiting gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses, is killing people every night. This week, on the night of July 6, the Russian aggressor once again launched a massive attack on our capital. The city was struck with ballistic missiles—weapons designed to target aircraft carriers and warships. Yet these weapons were used to kill civilians.
A great tragedy occurred in the town of Vyshneve. This suburb of Kyiv saw an entire neighborhood of private homes destroyed and many people killed. On July 7, Kyiv observed a day of mourning. Our entire Church, including the Synod of Bishops, which was meeting this week in Zarvanytsia, united in prayer for those who were innocently killed.
However, we have also received much encouraging news from Ukraine. First and foremost, we thank the Lord God and the Armed Forces of Ukraine that our people have once again stood firm this week. We have heard encouraging news from the front that the Russian military’s offensive capabilities have been reduced nearly fourfold. Our defenders continue to defend their country courageously, even reclaiming Ukrainian territory from the occupiers in certain sectors of the front.
This week, our Synod of Bishops witnessed a historic event. For two days, the bishops worked on the principal legislative text of our Church, titled The Code of Canons of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. This Code of Canons summarizes the millennia-long canonical development of the Church of Kyiv, beginning with the earliest Church documents, continuing through the decisions of local councils over the past millennium, and culminating in contemporary legislative and administrative acts.
This Code of Canons is a sign of our Church’s maturity, a sign that our Church has taken yet another decisive step toward the development of patriarchal structures and the patriarchal dignity of our Church.
I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have contributed to this historic document over the past ten years. In recent weeks, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Constitution of Ukraine. Something similar took place this week at our Synod, as we adopted this fundamental law by which our Church will live, not only in Ukraine but throughout the world.
We are grateful to our bishops and the experts who worked on this important text. And we thank the Lord God that our Church continues to grow, mature, and serve God and the Ukrainian people in Ukraine and in countries around the world.
Once again, we say: Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!
Today we concluded this year’s Synod of Bishops with the All-Ukrainian Pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia. Zarvanytsia is a special spiritual center of our Church. We call it the “Home of the Mother of God” in Ukraine.
The annual All-Ukrainian Pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia, which traditionally takes place on the second Sunday of July, is one of the central spiritual events of our Church—not only for the Church in Ukraine, but for Ukrainians throughout the world.
Tens of thousands of pilgrims came to venerate the miraculous icon in Zarvanytsia this Sunday. Many of them had been walking for several days. Today in Zarvanytsia, we prayed first and foremost for peace, for Ukraine’s victory, and for the swiftest possible end to this sacrilegious war. We gathered the cries, tears, prayers, pleas, and petitions of the Ukrainian people from all over the world, and together with the Synod of Bishops, our clergy, monastics, and pilgrims, we entrusted our prayers for Ukraine to the motherly hands of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary.
We did so with firm faith that the Mother of God accompanies her people on their journey. Every mother hastens to her child when that child is in danger, when that child is crying, when that child is in pain. A mother’s heart draws her to her suffering children and covers them with her protective mantle. That is what we felt and experienced during this pilgrimage to Zarvanytsia.
Therefore, we pray: Our Lady, cover Ukraine with your heavenly mantle! Blessed Virgin Mary, help us rescue all captives, all prisoners, and all abducted children of Ukraine from Russian captivity! Our Lady, cover with your maternal mantle and your loving care the weakest and most vulnerable among our people; hasten to the aid of all who are being tortured, who suffer in body and soul because of this brutal war! Our Lady, intercede for the Ukrainian people, that they may attain a just, Christ-like, heavenly, and lasting 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!
