Representatives of Ukrainian churches jointly congratulated Ukrainians on Christmas. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head of the UGCC, Vitaliy Kryvytskyi, Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr of the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod and Secretary of the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the OCU, Valeriy Antoniuk, Chairman of the Baptist World Congress, and other religious leaders joined the video greetings.
Congratulating Ukrainians on Christmas, the Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, noted that “although sometimes darkness seems to be winning, the light of God's Love shines through, giving us hope and strength. Christ came into this world to become our Savior, our Liberator!”
“Today, Ukrainians are going through trials that seem overwhelming. We are facing the pain of loss, violence, injustice and chaos that is spreading around the world,” said Bishop Vitaly Kryvytskyi, diocesan bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine.
At the same time, Archbishop Agapit of Vyshhorod of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine added that “the Angel of the Lord delivered His words - the words of great joy - to people more than two thousand years ago, and they still bring us hope and faith.”
“In the most difficult and hopeless moments, God performed miracles, showing His power, which raised the people from the deepest sorrow. And now the Lord is with us, giving us the strength to persevere and win!” added Senior Bishop Anatoliy Kozachok of the Ukrainian Church of Christians of Evangelical Faith.
Bishop Markos Hovhannisyan of the Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church noted that “we have the example and testimony of brave heroes of faith, prophets, apostles and saints who went through great trials but remained steadfast, placing their trust in God and His power.”
“Do not lose hope, and do not let evil oppress your hearts. Now, more than ever, we need unity in faith, for our faith in the almighty God is the source of our strength,” called Oleksandr Zaitsev, Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church.
Stanislav Nosov, president of the Ukrainian Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, wished that “difficult circumstances do not weaken our faith. We know that everyone who believes in God will not be put to shame.”
Serhii Debelinsky, head of the Baptist Union of Independent Churches and Missions of Ukraine, called for “strengthening in faith and unity, seeking strength in God, not just in our abilities.”
“At this Christmas time, we pray for victory, for the protection of our soldiers, for comfort for all those who suffer, for the restoration and prosperity of Ukraine as a land of freedom, dignity and peace,” said Ihor Rudzik, Secretary of the Synod of the Ukrainian Lutheran Church.
“We ask the Lord to grant Ukraine light and grace so that it may flourish spiritually and materially, heal its wounds, and return to peace,” added Senior Bishop Leonid Padun of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church.