Head of the UGCC in the 142 nd Week of War: Righteous Metropolitan Sheptytsky is a Prominent Saint of Our Church Today
Andrey Sheptytsky can indeed be regarded as the first Lviv Metropolitan of global significance. This was affirmed by the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in a traditional video message during the 142 nd week of the tragic war—a week marked by Russia’s ongoing crimes against humanity, bringing bloodshed, death, destruction, and other calamities upon our peaceful Ukrainian land.
The Primate noted that every single day and night, Russian weapons target Ukraine: “This week, there was not a single night without Russian missiles, drones, and guided bombs causing death in our peaceful cities and villages.”
Despite these grave hardships, he observed, our people are rallying as never before. And we want the world to know: Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!
This time, the Head of the Church addresses Greek Catholics and people of goodwill from France, a country that stands with us in friendship: “In recent days, I have had the opportunity to meet with French state leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron and the Ministers of the Interior and Foreign Affairs, to speak on behalf of Ukraine’s long-suffering people.”
The spiritual leader shared his experiences from meetings with the clergy and monastics of the Paris Archeparchy, Ukrainian diplomats, members of our community, representatives of Ukrainian NGOs, and the community of the Eparchy of Saint Volodymyr-Le-Grand de Paris. “To everyone I could reach, I conveyed this message from the Motherland: Ukraine—defending human dignity, freedom, and the right to liberty in modern Europe—is wounded but undefeated, tired yet resilient,” he said.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav reminded that last week, on November 1, Ukrainians in Ukraine and worldwide commemorated the 80th anniversary of the passing of the legendary Ukrainian intellectual, European-level church leader, and Father of our Church, the righteous Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky. This shepherd, who bore the trials of both World Wars, shaped the modern identity of our Church.
“The righteous Metropolitan is today a prominent saint within our Church, though still unknown to many in Ukraine and globally. However, he remains a father and teacher to the clergy, priests, monks, nuns, and all who are willing to learn to love God and Ukraine. We pray for his canonization—praying that next year we may celebrate him among the blessed saints of the Universal Church of Christ,” expressed the Head of the Church.
The UGCC Department for Information
