UGCC Head on the 156th Week of the War: We Must Protect Ukrainian Families to Renew Our Nation
Without a Ukrainian family giving birth to children, the lamp of victory over death will begin to fade. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said in a traditional video address on the 156th week of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Illustrative photo
The Primate highlighted that every night, Russian drones, missiles, and guided bombs rain down on Ukrainian cities and villages. At the same time, the Primate said, this week also brought good news: Ukraine has secured the return of 150 more of our servicemen from Russian captivity.
Reflecting on the past week, the Head of the Church thanked everyone standing with Ukraine—whether through prayer, humanitarian aid, or diplomatic advocacy. This includes the Prayer Breakfast with the new President of the United States and Ukrainian Week in Washington, D. C., both of which took place this week. “And we say once again today: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav reminded that this week the 99th session of the Synod of Bishops of Ukraine was held in Lviv: “About 30 of our bishops gathered. We were glad to welcome our fellow bishops from Zakarpattia. The central theme of the meetings was the pastoral care of families. We are aware that by supporting the Ukrainian family, we will revive and protect Ukraine. That is why the family remains the cornerstone of stability and the hope for our nation’s future.”
The Head of the Church noted with regret that the difficult circumstances in the country also threaten the Ukrainian family and the birth rate. According to statistics, in 2024, there was one divorce for every new marriage in Ukraine.
According to him, the fertility rate of 2.2 children per family is usually required to reproduce the nation. Before the war, this figure in Ukraine had dropped to 1.54, and today it equals 0.7–0.9.
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Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 156th Week of Full-Scale War, February 9, 2025
“If Ukrainian families stop having children,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav, “the light of victory over death will begin to fade. All of us together—the Church, society, and state authorities—must protect Ukrainian families, support their ability to give birth, so that our long-suffering people can flourish.”
The UGCC Department for Information
