The greeting of Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarchs in Western Europe reads that the expectation of Christmas is a special opportunity to delve into the essence of our being, the being with God.
“We are often confused because of various personal and family problems and injustice and violence in the world. In difficult conditions of emigration in a foreign country, sometimes without adequate shelter, people are bewildered by the paradoxes of everyday life. The global economic crisis, the impoverishment of many and ever deeper gulf between rich and poor, increasing secularization, broken families, lack of a common language between parents and children, the social and political instability in the native homeland are sources of anxiety and lost sleep in many. To us who are uncertain, postmodern skeptics, in ourselves and between each other often alienated, Christmas brings a radical perspective... We celebrate Christmas in order to understand who came to us, who came into our busy world to turn our anxiety into peace and joy,” reads the greeting.
The Greek Catholic hierarchs emphasize that it should be remembered that the Church of Christ is a meeting place and a Motherland, which gathers all in Christ.
The greeting was signed by:
+ Petro, the Apostolic Exarch of Germany and Scandinavia
+ Hlib, Apostolic Exarch of Great Britain, Apostolic Visitor in Ireland
+ Dionisii, Apostolic Visitor in Italy and Spain
+ Borys, Apostolic Exarch of France, a delegate in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Switzerland
The Permanent Conference of Ukrainian Orthodox Bishops Beyond of Borders of Ukraine also greeted the faithful and the clergy on the occasion of Christmas.
“May the Heavenly Bethlehem Star, which led the Three Kings to the Bethlehem cave, always lead you, dear brothers and sisters, along the path to God’s Truth, to honorable life and work…The first to worship Christ in Bethlehem were the humble shepherds and then came the Three Kings who brought gifts to the Christ-Child: gold – symbolizing love and devotion, incense, symbolizing prayer and myrrh, symbolizing patience…. Let us make a firm resolution this day, as did the Three Kings, to never set foot on the road, which leads to an atheistic, spiritless life, void of God’s Truth. May the light of the Bethlehem star always guide our life’s journey,” reads the greeting.
The message was signed by:
+ YURIJ, Metropolitan – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+ ANTONY, Metropolitan – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA
Locum Tenens Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora
+ IOAN, Archbishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Diaspora
+ JEREMIAH, Archbishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Eparchy of Brazil and South America
+ ILARION, Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+ ANDRIJ, Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
+ DANIEL, Bishop – Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA