“Our distinct tradition is a breath of Christ’s presence among us. If we have the Spirit of Christ, we can laugh in the face of death. A nation that believes in the Resurrection cannot be defeated.” This was emphasized by the Father and Head of the UGCC on February 22 during a reception in Toronto, Canada, held as part of the meeting of the Permanent Synod.
Addressing the clergy, he noted, “The Lord God created this day, this minute, for us to be together. We have specifically arranged the program of our Permanent Synod to commemorate the third anniversary of the outbreak of the great war in Ukraine and to mark it here in Canada, together with you—our community.”
On the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale military invasion, His Beatitude Sviatoslav remarked, “We were given three days; then they said three weeks; yet we have stood for three years,” confirming that “Ukraine stands.”
He then recalled the harrowing events of the war over the past three years: the bombardments, the shelling, the encirclement, and the defense of the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv by ordinary men from the territorial defense, fueled by their hope and faith in victory.
The Patriarch referred to his meeting with the Mayor of Kyiv at the beginning of the war, who said, “We need words of hope from the Church even more than bread and clothing.”
“Now, in the unique circumstances that America, Canada, Europe, and the world face today, the voice of hope resonates from Kyiv because Ukraine prays,” the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
The Primate also recalled visiting a wounded soldier in a hospital during the siege of Kyiv: “We could hear bombs exploding and artillery firing. He groaned, looked at me, and said: ‘Bless me, Father.’”
“Therefore, the essence of Christian hope is the Resurrection. We already possess it. We feel the power of the resurrected Christ flowing through our veins. It was exactly what I saw in the veins of that wounded man,” explained His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
“Many people ask, ‘Where is the God you believe in?’ And our men, our young soldiers, say that He is with us. He is the one being killed on the front line and among the civilians in our cities and villages. It is He who is being tortured in the bodies of our soldiers in captivity. It is He who is once again kidnapped in the bodies of our children, abducted to Russia and taken from their parents. He is the one once again ridiculed by the powers of this world, who say, ‘If I were you, I would never let you die.’ It is He who is sold today for thirty pieces of silver, which may be worth more money today,” added the UGCC Head.
He recounted his meetings in the United States, emphasizing that he “spoke with a sense of strength and dignity. They may have more money and other resources, but no one else possesses the power of the Spirit of God, which pulsates in the body of our people.”
The Head of the UGCC expressed his gratitude for Canada’s support, the aid provided by various organizations, and the efforts of the Ukrainian community. He invited “everyone to the All-Church Pilgrimage of the Global Church, which will be held this year in Rome, at St. Peter’s Basilica on June 28—the eve of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.”
“In this year, which Pope Francis has declared the Year of Hope, it is so important for us to come together and share our hope with the world, for it seems that the world is slowly losing its grip on hope. We need to testify to it so that they not only hear about hope but also see a living, global, and dynamic Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.
