The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in the 218th Week of the War: Pope Leo XIV’s Call, “No to War!” Must Be Heard by All Who Wage War in the World
We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for his courage in speaking God’s word to those who have fallen into the illusion of omnipotence and are leading the world into the vortex of a destructive war. This appeal is directed at all those who are currently waging war and sowing death, particularly those carrying out unjust aggression against Ukraine. This was stated by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, in his traditional video address during the 218th week of the great war, which has not ceased for a moment, even during the bright days of Easter.
Despite the so-called Easter truce announced by the aggressor, it was, unfortunately, cynically violated, particularly through crimes against humanity and gross violations of international law.
Against the backdrop of this escalation, the Head of the Church expressed special gratitude to Pope Leo XIV, who is currently visiting the African continent, for his prophetic voice as the Church of Christ. His clear and courageous “No to war!” resounds as a call to the conscience of the modern world.
“It was especially important to hear this voice in the light of the Lord’s Easter—the feast of the victory of life over death—when we welcome the Risen Christ among us as the Prince of Peace. In supporting the Holy Father in this struggle against war in the modern world, we want the whole world to hear: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays!” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
During these Easter days, the Primate noted, another painful event occurred in the temporarily occupied territories.
“In the city of Tokmak, in the Zaporizhzhia region, on the very day of Easter, the Greek Catholic Church of Saints Peter and Paul was vandalized. With particular cynicism, our faithful were expelled; despite being unable to participate in divine services due to the absence of their priest, they had been caring for, cleaning, and visiting this church. The shrine was seized by clergy of the ‘Russian Orthodox Church’ with the participation of military units,” the spiritual leader recounted.
The Head of the Church expressed deep sorrow over this tragic event and assured the faithful in this long-suffering region of his prayerful closeness.
Nevertheless, this week remains a time of light: in our churches and communities, the apostolic greeting “Christ is risen!” resounded, and our people responded, “Indeed, He is risen!”
