Should We Not Sit Idly by These Days, Listening to the Heartbeat of the World and the Movement of Cosmic Forces — UGCC Head in the 201st Week of the War
In his traditional weekly video address during the 201st week of the great war in Ukraine, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, thanked all those who have supported the newly elected Bishop Ihor in Paris and assured that the Ukrainian Church will always stand with its people.
Summing up the previous week, the Primate noted that throughout it we prayed especially for our soldiers near Pokrovsk and Myrnograd in Donetska Oblast, near Huliaipole in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.
“We see that the enemy has changed its tactics and every night selects a new victim among our peaceful cities. Odesa and the Odesa Black Sea coast have become such victims…” said the Head of the UGCC, adding that the Church is doing its utmost to save human lives even in such dire circumstances.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav called for the world to show solidarity with Ukraine once again, especially now that negotiations are underway on the so-called peace plan to end this war: “We want peace that is not just a signed piece of paper, but a space where we can live, have warmth and light, have a future, be protected, with the opportunity to build our lives!”
This week, our Church’s attention was focused on Paris, where, for the first time in the history of our Church, the episcopal consecration of a Ukrainian bishop took place.
Read also:
“The Lord God Visits His People by Sending Us His Bishop” — Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church at the Consecration of Bishop Ihor Rantsya
“Bishop Ihor Rantsya was appointed by the Church to the episcopal ministry and took office as the ruling bishop of our Parisian eparchy of St. Volodymyr the Great, which, in addition to France, cares for our faithful in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The consecration of the new bishop was a special moment of communion, a moment when the Ukrainian Church in Paris was able to speak to French society, to the Catholic Church in this country, and to the entire French-speaking world…,” said the Primate.
“Paris,” continued the spiritual leader of the Ukrainians, “is traditionally called the European capital of nations, where different cultures, thoughts, and ideas meet, as well as different religious communities, national cultures, and Churches. And Ukraine will be present in this modern Areopagus of Europe. May God bless our Church!”
Read also:
Video Message of the Head of the UGCC on the 201st Week of the Full-Scale War, December 21, 2025
At the same time, we look to the future and find ourselves in the anticipation of Nativity of Christ.
“We feel how the whole world has been shaken. Wise men from foreign lands are already traveling to Bethlehem, guided by a star. The Holy Family—Mary and Joseph—set out on their journey to Bethlehem and knock on various doors, looking for a place for the birth of the Son of God. So, these days, we should not sit idly by, listening to the heartbeat of the world and the movement of cosmic forces. Let us also get moving to complete our spiritual preparation for Christmas,” urged the spiritual leader.
The UGCC Department for Information
