Video-message of the Head of the UGCC on the 173rd Week of Full-Scale War, June 8, 2025
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ!
Woefully, this marks the 173 rd week of this devastating war — a week filled with pain, blood, tears, and fire. A week that has brought more death, suffering, and injury to the Ukrainian people and our land.
Fierce fighting continues along the entire front line. The enemy is attacking most intensely near our glorious, martyred, and heroic city of Pokrovsk in Donbas. Active combat is also underway in northern Ukraine, along the Russian border near Sumy Oblast, where the forced evacuation of residents from border towns and villages has begun. Another wave of refugees and internally displaced persons is now sweeping across the country.
Once again this week, the enemy launched numerous massive strikes on our towns and cities. The city of Pryluky in the Chernihiv region was targeted, leaving at least five people dead and dozens wounded. Our Sumy, our heroic Kherson — where a strike destroyed the regional military-civilian administration building — have been hit hard. But the Russian attack on Kyiv was especially cynical.
This week, the world watched as the Russian president spoke with Pope Leo XIV by phone. During their conversation, the Holy Father asked Russia for some sign of peace — a gesture, however small, of willingness to end this senseless war. And in the early hours of June 6, Russia did send a sign — but it was a dreadful, murderous one.
That night, Russia launched more than 400 air strikes against Ukraine. Missiles, ballistic weapons, and countless drones were fired from ships and land-based platforms. Our long-suffering Kyiv — where rescue workers lost their lives — was at the epicenter. So far, at least three people have been confirmed dead, and dozens more injured. That same night, Russia also struck Ternopil, Lutsk, and other cities in western Ukraine.
The sign Russia sent was not one of peace — it was a sign of escalation. A sign of utter contempt for everything we mean by the sacred word “peace.” The very fact that we are alive and able to speak to you today is thanks to God, to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, to the brave men and women of our air defense units, who saved the lives of countless Kyiv residents and others across our peaceful cities and villages.
And so, today, we proclaim once more to the world: Ukraine stands. Ukraine fights. Ukraine prays.
Today, together with the entire Christian world, Ukraine celebrates a great feast — Pentecost, the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and all humanity. This is the birthday of the Church of Christ, the day when God renews the grace of the Holy Spirit in our communities, in our souls, and in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit, as we hear in our divine services, is often the unseen and mysterious guest of the human soul — incomprehensible in essence, like God Himself, but made known through His actions, His power, and His grace.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of hope for Ukraine. He pours divine love into our hearts and renews in us the gift of being God’s children. He is our Comforter — the great Consoler of a wounded, long-suffering, weeping, and grieving people. The grace of the Holy Spirit is a healing balm for our wounds — a medicine the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit, pours upon the suffering people of Ukraine.
The Holy Spirit is our Teacher of truth, reminding us of all that Jesus Christ taught — truths handed down through the holy apostles. Through the sacraments of Christ’s Church, He constantly regenerates us, leading us into new life.
Today, wounded Ukraine cries out:
“Come, Holy Spirit! Renew us, comfort us, lift us up, heal us — and rekindle in our hearts the gift of Christian hope!”
This past week marked the end of the academic year for schools and universities in Ukraine. Studying during wartime is an act of courage — a feat achieved by our teachers, students, professors, and educators. Sitting exams under the threat of war is another remarkable accomplishment. And so I extend heartfelt congratulations to all our pupils and students who graduated this year — who, despite sleepless nights and constant danger, did everything they could to achieve the best possible results.
Our Church not only prays for them — she walks alongside them. She accompanies our children, youth, teachers, and professors. Today we want to express our profound gratitude to all who taught and all who learned, to all who gave and all who received, to all who embraced and shared.
Today, we once again call upon the Holy Spirit to grant peace to our homeland. We pray that He may touch the hearts of those in power — to help them hear one another and truly communicate.
The Holy Spirit is the power of communion, the power of unity — the divine bond between God and humankind, and among people united in love. Even when we don’t speak the same language or fully understand one another’s intentions, when we love in the Holy Spirit, we come to understand all things. As Saint Pope John Paul II once said: “Love has interpreted everything to me.”
We pray:
Lord, reveal Your truth to those who seek to understand what is happening in Ukraine. Inspire every human heart with the grace of the Holy Spirit to pursue true, just, lasting, and profound peace — especially for our long-suffering Ukrainian land.
The blessing of the Lord be upon you, through His grace and love for mankind, always, now and forever, and for the ages of ages. Amen.
Congratulations to all of us on this holiday!
Glory to Jesus Christ!
