In a pre-Christmas interview with the TV channel “We Are Ukraine,” the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, shared his thoughts on the essence of just peace for the Ukrainian people.
When asked what just peace is in the current circumstances, he emphasized that “according to the Holy Scriptures, peace has its source, it does not arise by itself. The mother of peace is justice, and its basis and foundation is God's law.”
The head of the UGCC outlined several key aspects of just peace for Ukraine: de-occupation of the territories, compensation for damages, and respect for the victims and families who lost their loved ones.
“However, the most important condition for such peace is to call the wrongdoer by name, expose his crimes and condemn them. Not out of the desire to get revenge, but to prevent such experiences from reoccurring. This is justice for the future,” the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
Only after justice is restored, according to the head of the UGCC, can we talk about the next step - forgiveness: “Forgiveness is the process of healing personal wounds and traumas that each of us has suffered.”
The path to just peace, in his opinion, is long and difficult, but “in the mystery of Christmas, we feel that such peace is possible.” “What is impossible for people is possible for God,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav concluded.