Head of the UGCC on the 155th Week of the War: Greek Catholics in Ukraine Increase by 4%
“Do not forget those who gave their lives for Ukraine.” With these words, Pope Francis concluded his conversation with Ukrainian youth. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said this on the 155th week of the cruel war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine.
The Primate noted that this week we are once again experiencing the excruciating pain of loss and destruction from the Russia’s attack on peaceful Ukrainian cities: Sumy, where about 10 people were reportedly killed; Odesa, where more than 15 architectural monuments included in the UNESCO World Heritage List were destroyed; Poltava, where people were killed; and Zaporizhzhia.
The Head of the Church noted that despite such brutal circumstances, the role and place of churches in Ukrainian society, which is wounded by war, is strengthening.
Based on the research of the Razumkov Center, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted that the number of people who previously called themselves Orthodox (55%) has begun to decline rapidly, while the number of those who consider themselves merely Christians (about 10%) and those who identified themselves as people with no religion (18%) increased.
“’This may be a space for the missionary work of the Church,’ the spiritual leader urged us to think about it and at the same time noted: ‘Our Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is growing. We have a record number of faithful in our country. Our numbers have reached a record 12%. The number of Greek Catholics in Ukraine has increased by 4%.’”
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the historic event of this week was marked by the meeting of Ukrainian youth with Pope Francis. This is the first such meeting in history that took place via teleconference and brought together Ukrainian youth from all over Ukraine. “More than 200 participants of this meeting gathered at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. Our Ukrainian youth, who are outside Ukraine due to the circumstances of the war, also joined together,” said the Primate.
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Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 155th Week of Full-Scale War, February 2, 2025
The Head of the Church says that everyone was especially impressed by the words of Pope Francis concerning Ukrainian patriotism. “When everything is good, when life flows smoothly, a young person’s vocation seems to unfold naturally. But in times of trouble, in times of war—as in Ukraine—young people must love their homeland. The vocation of Ukrainian youth is patriotism.” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
As he spoke, Pope Francis held in his hands the cover of a Holy Scriptures that had belonged to a soldier killed in Avdiivka, with these verses from the Psalms underlined: “Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!” The Pope keeps this soldier’s rosary on his desk and prays with it. The Pope held this young man up as a model for the vocation of Ukrainians and young people today.
The UGCC Department for Information
