Head of the UGCC: "In this dramatic but heroic time, we pray for the soldiers who gave their lives for Ukraine"
"In this dramatic but heroic time, we keep praying. Today, on Meat-Fare Saturday, we remember the dead. And especially today we pray for our soldiers who gave their lives for Ukraine, in particular these days," the head of the UGCC said in a video message.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that today we remember in prayer the heroes - border guards of Zmiinyi (Snake) Island in the Black Sea, our hero Vitaly, who at the cost of his own life stopped Russian troops near Kherson, blowing up the bridge over the Dnieper with him.
"The Ukrainian land has borne such heroes today. We pray for all those who gave their lives for Ukraine. We pray for civilian casualties: women, children, and elders. We put into the hands of God all those who have passed away from this world, and ask that the Lord take them into his arms," the head of the UGCC added.
The head of the Church thanked our bishops, in particular those who are in Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Odessa, all our priests who are in the besieged cities and serve the Ukrainian people, open their homes, churches, dungeons, all our monastic communities, seminaries, who open the doors of their monasteries to those who need it today.
"Many thanks to our brothers and sisters, all our faithful, bishops, monastics in the territories of central and western Ukraine, who are already providing humanitarian assistance. Thousands of refugees are coming to you today. Receive them in the name of Christ," His Beatitude Sviatoslav urged.
