In a Week, the Synod Begins in Rome: His Beatitude Sviatoslav Calls the Faithful to Prayer
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has called on the faithful to pray for the upcoming Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which begins on June 29. He also renewed his invitation to participate in the Jubilee Pilgrimage of the UGCC to Rome, taking place on June 28. The Primate described the upcoming events as “very special and historic for the life of our Church and our people.”
“This week, delegations from all our communities—from the entire Ukrainian diaspora around the world—are traveling to Rome, to the Eternal City,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav on Sunday, June 22, following the Divine Liturgy at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
On Saturday, June 28, a global pilgrimage of UGCC faithful to the tomb of the Apostle Peter will mark the Jubilee Year of Hope. Then, on Sunday, June 29, the feast of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the next session of the UGCC Synod of Bishops will begin with a concelebrated Divine Liturgy with Pope Leo XIV.
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Jubilee of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church: His Beatitude Sviatoslav Invites the Faithful to the Vatican for a Pilgrimage
The central theme of the ten-day Synod—held at the Ukrainian Pontifical College of St. Josaphat—will be family ministry during wartime. His Beatitude Sviatoslav outlined the mission before the bishops: “Our bishops from around the world will make every effort to ensure that we, as a Church, can support Ukrainian families wounded by war.”
He also stressed the importance of spiritual support: “I earnestly ask all of you—pray for the Synod of our bishops, for the grace of the Holy Spirit, the visible sign of His presence in the Church.”
His Beatitude emphasized that the main purpose of the pilgrimage to Rome is to pray for peace. “Not only do we want to convey our pain and suffering to Rome, the Vatican, and the world, but also the heroism of our people, our resilience, and our strength. We want the world to hear us and to stand with us,” he said.
He concluded by inviting all the faithful to join in prayer for these events, which will be broadcast from Rome by Zhyve TV.
The UGCC Department for Information
