Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church leader leads historic Vatican pilgrimage, uniting Ukrainian faithful in hope and prayer at St. Peter’s Basilica.
Newsroom, June 30, 2025, – His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), delivered a powerful sermon at St. Peter’s Basilica during a Jubilee Pilgrimage to the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, emphasizing the global unity of the UGCC and its role as a beacon of hope amid Ukraine’s ongoing struggles.
In his homily, His Beatitude Sviatoslav described the UGCC as the “heir of Kyivan Christianity,” uniting faithful worldwide through the Eucharist. “We experience conciliarity in the context of the Eucharist through the power and grace of the Holy Spirit—because it is through the Eucharist that unity is created,” he said.
Reflecting on the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of Compassion, he drew on Christ’s words from the cross: “Woman, behold your son” (Jn 19:26). He portrayed Mary as an icon of the Church, sharing in the suffering of her children. “Today, your Mother Church suffers with her children,” he said, acknowledging the pain of Ukrainians amid ongoing conflict.
The pilgrimage, attended by approximately 7,000 UGCC faithful, was marked by a personal greeting from Pope Leo XIV, a gesture His Beatitude called “a source of Christian hope.” He noted the unique privilege granted to Ukraine during the 2025 Jubilee Year, saying, “No other Church or nation has a pilgrimage like this. Only Ukraine and the Ukrainian people have received this privilege, as a sign of the Pope’s respect and compassion for Ukraine’s suffering.”
The event also commemorated the 1975 Jubilee pilgrimage led by Patriarch Josyf Slipyj, who first proclaimed the UGCC’s dignity from St. Peter’s. “Today, we stand in the same place and make that same proclamation to the world,” His Beatitude declared. He described the gathering as a liturgical Patriarchal Council, uniting Ukrainians from North and South America, Australia, Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine itself. “What we are witnessing is a wave of God’s grace,” he said.
Addressing the global Ukrainian diaspora, His Beatitude emphasized the Church’s role in healing and uniting a people scattered by war. “The motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary—reflected in the motherhood of our Church—embraces Ukrainians wherever they may be, and heals our wounds through the power of the Holy Spirit,” he said.
The Divine Liturgy, celebrated at the basilica’s main altar, followed a procession through the Holy Doors, led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav and the UGCC Synod of Bishops. The bishops’ singing of the Ukrainian spiritual hymn “God, Great and One” resonated through the basilica, underscoring the pilgrimage’s spiritual weight.
Concluding his sermon, His Beatitude rallied the faithful: “Let us return home as heralds of this hope, together proclaiming to Rome and to the world: Ukraine stands! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!”
The pilgrimage, a testament to the UGCC’s global reach and resilience, highlighted the Church’s enduring mission to foster unity and hope in the face of adversity.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UGCC
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