Ukraine stands firm, Ukraine fights; thank you all! – Head of the UGCC on twelfth day of war

Tuesday, 08 March 2022, 12:25

I would like to thank the Polish people, the Polish episcopate and the Polish state. They have already accepted more than a million refugees, welcomed them to their homes and are trying to do everything possible to provide the necessary assistance to these people. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said in his daily military address to the Ukrainian people from Kyiv.

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“May God pay you forward for it”, he said.

The Major Archbishop expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis for once again sharply and unambiguously condemning the war against Ukraine during the Angelus Prayer. "He clearly said that this was not an operation, but a war. This is the war, first of all, against civilians," said the Head of the Church.

“Today, on the twelfth day of the war, according to the UN, we already have one and a half million refugees from Ukraine who have left their homeland.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav cordially thanked all those who support our people, our Motherland, our army. He noted that countless letters of solidarity had been sent to him. In particular, the Head of the UGCC expresses gratitude to the Catholic bishops of Asia, particularly, Hong Kong, the Churches of India, notably, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara. Heartfelt thanks to the Eastern Catholic Churches of Europe: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia - all those who especially feel the pain of our Church and our people.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav's heart especially aches for the Kyiv Archdiocese. Fierce fighting is taking place in the suburbs of Kyiv. Three cities, located several tens of kilometers from the center of Kyiv, became such a great terrible battlefield. These are Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha.

“Yesterday we received a report that the mayor of Hostomel, Mr. Yuriy Prilipko, was killed. It happened just as he was distributing food and medicine to the needy. The mayor of Bucha, Mr. Vadym Denysenko, who courageously carried out his tasks, was wounded. Thank you to all those who honorably exercise their governmental power at various levels and organize the protection of the population”, the Head of the Church said.

With great distress, the Archbishop noted that all the talks about green corridors, about the possibility of evacuating people from cities that suffer the most from the encirclement and bombarding, are not true. "Today we are asking the world community to close the skies over Ukraine because these are Russian cruise missiles which kill people in our lands the most," he said.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav especially thanked Caritas Ukraine, which is doing its best to deliver essentials to where it is the most difficult today.

The UGCC Department for Information