The Head of the UGCC: "We need to build Ukrainian society not on hatred, but on love"

Speaking of love and hate, the Preacher said that Christ is the incarnate God's love. "Love opposes itself to hatred. Love is the force that saves and salves. Love is the force that gives life. Love is the force that returns dignity. Love is the power that liberates and gives freedom. Love that gives life, saves and frees, opposes to hatred, challenges hatred - the power that destroys, takes away freedom and brings death"- said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

He is convinced that the word of the meeting between hatred and love is of paramount importance... The Holy Fathers and the teachers of the Church, said the Head of the UGCC, have always taught that hatred - always dries the human soul, destroys those who have in their hearts this destructive force. The Apostle Paul says: do not let the evil defeat you, but overcome evil with good. Jesus Christ as the incarnate love of God is the force that enables man to revive and restore his strength.

"Brutal force cannot bring peace to the earth - persuades the Head of the Church. – You cannot with the social contract that takes away human freedom, bring peace to the earth. Only God's love, freeing and bringing dignity and freedom to people, can be the basis and foundation of true peace. Therefore, the Servant of God, Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytskyi, whose 150 th anniversary we are celebrating this months, says: hate nothing ever built, hate only destroys. Moreover, Metropolitan Sheptytskyi, as if looking at today, says: the most dangerous enemies are those who fight hatred and spread hatred. Today we should be protected not only from external enemies but also beware of all those who want to build Ukrainian society on the hatred. Hatred never builds; it only destroys what we are and what we have. Only love makes a person able to win. Only love builds and destroys hatred".

The Head of the UGCC recalled that today is the anniversary of the release of Ukrainian Slovyansk - the town that has become "a symbol of aggression, the newest rivalry of Ukrainian people for freedom, our common pain and suffering, as well as a harbinger of victory of good over evil".

The preacher gave the eloquent testimony of love of one Protestant pastor from Slovyansk. His two sons were killed by militants. "Talking about the tragedy that happened to his family, he said: I do not have hate in my heart to those who killed my children. Moreover, I am sorry for them because they are victims, slaves of their own hatred of sin"- said the Bishop.

"Today we remember in our prayer our brothers and sisters from this suffering town, which was the first subject of this aggression. We honour the soldiers who gave their lives for the freedom of the town..."

"Let us ask our Saviour today – urges the Head of the UGCC – to help us to build our free Ukraine on love but not on hatred. Beware of anyone who conceals newest certain ideology with hatred, using it for political struggle. Today we can see how populism of aggression and hatred lead our good children to different extremism. Let us pray for the peace of Christ for our country, for our people".

UGCC Department of Information