Ukraine prays for you, Your Holiness! - Head of the UGCC to Pope Francis at the beginning of the Synod of Youth

Thursday, 04 October 2018, 21:04

On October 3, 2018, with the Holy Mass celebrated on St. Peter's Square in Vatican, Pope Francis opened the Synod of Bishops devoted to youth, calling for the elimination of the barriers separating the Church from young people.

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As we reported, in the work of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Head of the UGCC, and Bishop Brian (Baida), the Eparch of Saskatoon (Canada), were elected as delegates from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church .

In total, 267 hierarchs will take part in the Synod, and 34 representatives from the youth aged 18 to 29 years old, will be among listeners. For the first time, two Bishops from the PRC came to the Synod. Their participation was made possible after the signing of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China.

Launching a sermon during the Holy Mass on the occasion of opening the Synod of Bishops on "Youth, Faith and Recognition of Calling" that will continue in the Vatican until October 28, Pope Francis called upon the Holy Spirit, at this "moment of grace" which is the Synod, to restore in memory and to revive the words of the Lord, "again reawakening" enthusiasm and admiration for Jesus. We know that our youth are able to prophesy and have a vision depending on how we, now adults or elderly people, are able to dream and thus influence and share the dreams and hopes that we bear in our hearts. This is reported by the information portal www.vaticannews.va.

The Holy Father prayed to the Holy Spirit not to allow the Synod Fathers to be suppressed by the "prophets of misery and misfortune" or their own "limitations of errors and sins," but that they were able to "find the space that illuminates the heart and to distinguish the paths of the Holy Spirit."

The Pope warmly welcomed two Bishops of the People's Republic of China who take part in the Synod for the first time, because " through their presence, the unity of the whole episcopate with the Successor of St. Peter is even more obvious." His Holiness expressed hope that this "new church assembly "will be able to expand the horizons, to open up the hearts and to refine the structures that are now separating and removing us from the youth."

Pope Francis appealed to the Synodal Fathers to "listen to one another, in order to make a distinction between what the Lord hopes from his Church," which requires careful consideration and not to prioritize what is secondary and secondary to what is important.

According to the Holy Father, "we need to listen to the Lord, in order to hear the call of God's people to Him." "With enthusiasm, let us build a world that is better than the present one," said the Pope.

The Holy Father completed his sermon with the words: "Synodal Fathers, the Church looks at you with trust and love."

Bishop Brian (Baida) said on his Facebook page that after the Mass, congratulating the Pope Francis, His Beatitude Sviatoslav said: "Ukraine prays for you, Holy Father!" And the Pope replied: "I pray for Ukraine!"

Department of Information of the UGCC