“To Love as Christ Did Is the Art of Living for Others”: Kyiv Marks the 15th Anniversary of His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s Enthronement with a Prayer Service
On March 29, the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent, a solemn Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv to mark the 15th anniversary of the patriarchal ministry of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
Many bishops and clergy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, as well as representatives of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine gathered at the Patriarchal Cathedral. Servicemen, government officials, and members of the diplomatic corps also took part in the prayer service.
Bishop Taras Senkiv — On Vocation, the Cross, and Faithfulness
The sermon during the Liturgy was delivered by Bishop Taras Senkiv, Eparch of Stryi and a bishop from the Patriarch’s native land. Citing the Gospel passage about the request of the sons of Zebedee (Mark 10:32–45), he emphasized that the path to the Kingdom of God does not lie through favoritism or human ambition, but through sacrificial love following the example of Christ. “Whoever wishes to be with Christ can enter into His glory only when he drinks from His cup,” Bishop Taras reminded the faithful.
Addressing His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Bishop Taras outlined the full scope of what has been accomplished. He recalled that 15 years ago, the Electoral Synod of the UGCC was searching for a new head of the Church—and that the Holy Spirit “had kept His definitive answer in distant Argentina.”
“The bishop who made this choice has proven to be the one who, having received the Spirit and the Love of Christ, amid the turbulent upheavals of history, has confidently led our Church for 15 years and guided its journey into a future determined by God’s providence,” said Bishop Taras, emphasizing His Beatitude Sviatoslav’s fidelity to the spirit of the Gospel and to the Church’s own theological and liturgical tradition.
The bishop particularly noted the role of the Patriarch during the full-scale war: “Today your voice resounds throughout the world and carries to its farthest corners the truth about Ukraine, which the Moscow pseudo-empire has been crucifying with its perverse ideology of the ‘Russian World’ since 2014—first through partial occupation and now, for the fifth year, through full-scale war.”
According to Bishop Taras, the testimony of the Head of the UGCC extends far beyond the strictly ecclesiastical sphere. The Church led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, according to the preacher, has become “a living hub of mercy, a refuge for the defenseless and the lost, a beacon of truth, and a source of faith and hope, from which our people draw strength to be renewed and strengthened in their struggle against the aggressor for a just peace.”
Concluding his address, the Bishop of Stryi summarized the spiritual essence of the Head of the Church’s ministry: “The Lord has embraced you with His love in a special way. And you sow this grace generously and without reserve into human souls, for to love in the likeness of Christ—this is the art of living for others.”
Words of Gratitude from the Apostolic Nuncio
After the Liturgy, the Father and Head of the UGCC was greeted by guests and representatives of other Churches. In particular, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas offered his congratulations and shared a heartfelt prayer for His Beatitude Sviatoslav—that spiritual youthfulness may always be preserved in his relationship with God and the Church: “May the duty of being the Head of the Greek Catholic Church always be new to you every day.”
Greetings from the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine
On behalf of the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine, greetings were read by Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr. In a letter from the Conference’s president, Bishop Vitaliy Skomarovskyi, it was noted that for 15 years, His Beatitude Sviatoslav has “zealously carried out the noble mission entrusted to him by the Lord—to lead God’s people along the path of faith, hope, and love.”
The bishops thanked His Beatitude Sviatoslav for devotedly leading God’s people and assured him of their prayers for his continued ministry.
A Greeting from the Orthodox Church of Ukraine
On behalf of the Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, His Beatitude Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine, Bishop Lavrentiy of Luhansk and Starobilsk delivered a congratulatory address.
Before reading the official greeting, he shared a personal reflection on the spiritual roots of the honoree’s ministry. He recalled that His Beatitude Sviatoslav “was born in the house of God,” as his parents had an underground church—and it was there that the future Head of the UGCC received “immunity from fear—communist fear.”
In the official message, the patriarch was congratulated on the 15th anniversary of his enthronement, and the words of the Gospel were cited: “Whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant” (Mt. 20:26–27). The message emphasized that it is precisely “love in Christ that is the power which unites people, strengthens them in trials, and leads them along the path of hope and salvation.”
“Thousands of Meetings, Decisions, Journeys, and Nights”: A Token of Gratitude from the Kyiv Archeparchy
“Fifteen years have passed since the moment when the Lord called you, Your Beatitude, to take up the burden and blessing of leading the Church—the Church of martyrs and confessors of the faith, but also the Church of courageous laypeople, priests, and bishops who have carried forward the legacy of Metropolitan Andrey, Patriarch Josyf, and Their Beatitudes Myroslav-Ivan and Lubomyr,” said Bishop Yosyf Milan, protosyncellus of the Kyiv Archeparchy.
In congratulating His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Bishop Milan highlighted three cornerstones of his ministry: the courage to accept God’s call, dedication to daily service, and responsibility for the truth, unity, and hope of the Church.
“Fifteen years—that is thousands of encounters, decisions, journeys, and nights in which a shepherd’s heart remains open to his people,” he said.
At the conclusion of the celebrations, His Beatitude Sviatoslav warmly thanked everyone who joined in the common prayer: bishops, clergy, the faithful, representatives of sister Churches, diplomats, servicemen, and all who were present that day.
The UGCC Department for Information
