By showing mercy, we concede that people and their dignity are always more significant than the alms we give them: His Beatitude Sviatoslav to the delegation from Italy
Thank you for coming to us. The most precious gift is the one you have in your hearts, and not the one you have brought in your hands. You have brought much more than humanitarian aid. With these words, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, greeted at his residence in Kyiv on Wednesday, March 29, a group of volunteers from Italy led by Franciscan Fr. Enzo Fortunato, who arrived in Ukraine on a humanitarian mission.
Recognizing the significance of the mission’s visit to Ukraine, the Head of the UGCC thanked for caring for Ukrainian children, who are “the most vulnerable part of our society and who suffered the most from the war.” He told several tragic stories of children who survived the horrors of war.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav drew attention to the difference between the expression of Christian love and humanitarian aid from various philanthropic organizations: “We, Christians when we show mercy, recognize that a person and their dignity are much greater than the alms we give them. People themselves are much more important than what we can do for them. Our mercy affirms their dignity.”
He also noted that the word that portrays Ukrainian society today is ‘trauma.’ And healing the wounds of war is the priority of the UGCC in its ministry for the next decade.
“Our Church today has become, as Pope Francis says, a field hospital. Literally,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav and added: “We are rediscovering the mission of the Church every time. And we see that today the Church is a family, a network of relationships, a community in which everyone feels safe and can rely on.”
Answering a question about church-state relations, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that the UGCC is trying to develop partnerships with the state.
Regarding the expectations of a possible visit of Pope Francis to Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that “we pray for it, but we also understand that the visit of the Holy Father should bring certain results.” “The Pope understands that his visit should not be a tourist’s visit but a messenger of peace. And this is a daunting challenge,” said the Primate.
He also said there is a growing distrust of diplomacy as a tool for resolving this issue, both by the Russians, who reject diplomacy, and the Ukrainian government, which currently sees no possibility of achieving peace through diplomacy.
Angelo Chiorazzo, a founder of Auxilium, noted that their visit to Ukraine was inspired by the spirit of Pope Francis’ encyclical “All Brothers.” According to him, the modern world needs a new impetus of brotherhood because resolving disputes by war in the 21 st century is incomprehensible.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav affirmed that being brothers is fundamental to understanding Ukrainians today. He noted that now there are many conversations and speeches about Ukraine and Russia, particularly at conferences in different countries of Europe and the world.
At the end of the meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav expressed deep gratitude to Pope Francis, whom the mission members will meet in a few days, for “being the one who rings the bells today” and congratulations on Easter. “We are convinced that Ukraine will recover. We will rebuild our cities. People will return to their homes. Why are we so confident? Because Christ is risen!” said the Head of the UGCC.
The UGCC Department for Information
