Head of the UGCC in the 165th week of war: Believing Christian Youth Are the Face of Ukrainian Hope Today
Do not be afraid to meet your Lord and Savior today and cry out with joy: “Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this in his traditional video address on the 165th week of Russia’s harrowing war against Ukraine.
The Primate noted that this week was also marked by human casualties, fire, blood, and destruction in different parts of the Motherland.
“Our soldiers,” the Head of the Church emphasizes, “are defending our cities and villages with their breasts in circumstances of intensified enemy attacks. The North of Ukraine is ablaze. Our commander-in-chief announced that the Russians have launched an offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv regions… But in these terrible circumstances, Ukrainians do not grow weary, instead they organize themselves, discover new strength for mutual support and love. And today we once again make a statement to the whole world: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!”
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, this week will also be remembered as a time of realization of the Church-State partnership for the common good and victory of Ukraine. In his opinion, the model of partnership between the Church and the state is not about isolation or confrontation, but rather a key to unlocking new strengths and energies within Ukrainian society so that by working together we can save our country and life in it, and then reflect together on what it should be like after the end of this war.
In addition, this week a Council of Christian Churches, which is part of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Public Organizations of Ukraine, organized a meeting with various NGOs. “This engaging and fruitful meeting between religious leaders and public organizations resulted in the signing of a statement addressing the very cornerstones of social and civil reconstruction—the restoration of Ukraine, which is the key to success and our victory,” said the spiritual leader.
Read also:
Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 165th Week of Full-Scale War, April 13, 2025
This Sunday is called Palm Sunday. It ushers us into Holy Week and leads us to the sacrament of Easter, the greatest, most important holiday of our Christian life. “Therefore, this Sunday, particularly in our Church, is a special day for young people—young people who have an innate sense of truth and justice, on whom the present and future of Ukraine depends, on whose shoulders the greatest burden of this war has fallen. This believing Christian youth is now the face of Ukrainian hope,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
The UGCC Department for Information
