The Head of the UGCC: Faith in God is one of the types of Christian immunity against depression

This is what His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, explained when asked why Christians fall into depression.

The Head of the Church noted that depression is a certain mental disorder.  "This is a disease that, unfortunately, plagues modern man today.  Depression has certain treatments that need to be used because it can lead to very sad consequences, even suicide,” he explained.

When we ask ourselves, His Beatitude Sviatoslav continued, about the causes of certain depressive states, modern medical science names several of them.  And one of them is a certain awareness of oneself, one's strengths, one's place in this world.  When a person feels unloved, helpless and weak in the face of challenges and difficulties, this disease can develop against the background of such emotions.

 However, according to the Primate of the Church, the Christian faith gives us the realization that God never leaves us.  He does not leave us even when we sin against Him severely.

When I realize that God loves me for who I am, that God's love is stronger than my ability to sin or do evil, that this love of God always accompanies me and will be with me, then I think this kind of foundation of the Christian faith will allow me to avoid  many reasons that can lead to various anxiety or depression," said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

 "It can be said that faith in God, the feeling of God's love, of His presence around me - this is one of the types of Christian immunity against such mental states.  Although, when depression has already come, it is necessary to treat this illness and eliminate the cause,” the Head of the Church concluded.

The UGCC Department for Information