His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Together with Priests, Plants Saplings in a Forest in the Kyiv Region
On April 2, a joint tree-planting event organized by the State Specialized Economic Enterprise “Forests of Ukraine” took place in the Boryspil District of Kyiv Oblast. On the grounds of the Boryspil Forest District, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, together with priests of the Kyiv Archeparchy, planted 8,000 pine and birch saplings.
According to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, this event has both practical and symbolic significance: “Spring has arrived in Ukraine, and I think it would be wonderful if every Ukrainian planted at least one tree this spring,” said the Head of the UGCC.
The Head of the Church emphasized that reforestation is of particular importance today in the context of a war marked by massive environmental destruction.
“This has practical significance because this war is marked by ecocide—that is, the Russians are destroying entire hectares of forest. Likewise, we sometimes destroy the forests around us ourselves, so we need to restore Ukraine’s green lungs,” he noted.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav also drew attention to the educational aspect of the clergy’s participation in the campaign. In his words, the Church is called to instill in people a deep sense of responsibility for the environment—as a response to God’s call to care for the world: “We must instill in our people a sense of responsibility for the environment—a responsibility for the world created by God. We must care not only for the cleanliness of the environment, but also ensure that our home, this cosmic sanctuary in which we live, remains green.”
The initiative also has a memorial dimension. The newly planted forest will serve as a living symbol of gratitude to the fallen defenders of the Motherland, particularly forestry workers who gave their lives on the battlefield.
“With this planting, we wish to remember and honor our defenders, in particular the forestry workers who gave their lives defending our Motherland. In this way, this part of the forest will have memorial significance as a sign of gratitude from our Church and our people,” the Father and Head of the UGCC concluded.
