On February 1, 2025, an online meeting of His Holiness Pope Francis with Ukrainian youth took place at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv.
The meeting was attended by the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Apostolic Nuncio Visvaldas Kulbokas, and Bishop-Assistant of the Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhya Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church, Bishop Jan Sobilo.
More than 250 young people from Greek Catholic and Roman Catholic dioceses, as well as from the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Diocese, came to the Patriarchal Cathedral in Kyiv for an online meeting with Pope Francis.
Ukrainian youth from Warsaw (Poland), Munich (Germany), Chicago (USA), and London (Great Britain) also joined the meeting.
Bishop Brian Baida, Bishop of the Diocese of Toronto and Eastern Canada and Chairman of the Patriarchal Commission on Youth Affairs, addressed the young people with a welcoming speech.
The event began with a joint prayer "Our Father".
Then, the Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, expressed gratitude to the Holy Father for "this historic meeting," noting that "hope in Ukraine has many faces," in particular, "hope has the face of young Ukrainians who, despite the challenges of war, know how to love God and their neighbor."
Afterwards, the young people brought their own testimonies of the war to the Pope. They spoke about the pain, losses, experiences, and challenges of wartime.
According to a schoolgirl from Kharkiv, "the Church has become a place of salvation for many. And for us it is very valuable that our bishops, our priests did not abandon us, but remained with us."
"We, as one people, bear this burden of war together. Our Church has become the strongest shelter in times of war, so we ask you to remember us in your prayers and continue to do everything so that we finally defeat the enemy. Thank you, Holy Father, for the opportunity to speak to you and through you to the whole world," the girl emphasized.
The young people had the opportunity to ask Pope Francis relevant questions and receive answers. They were interested in questions about the ability to forgive, prayer in times of war, how to survive separation from home while in exile, what to do to win, how to find your place in the world and your destiny.
Answering the question, Pope Francis emphasized that "a young person must keep the memory of the past, but he must also be open to the future, to dream, because a young person who does not dream of the future is old. Carry your memory of the past into your future."
Also, addressing the youth, he noted that "today the mission of Ukrainian youth is to be a patriot."
"You cannot hide from the problems you are experiencing today. At this moment, your country is wounded by war. You must be patriots, love your Motherland, protect it," the Holy Father added.
The meeting ended with a joint performance of the spiritual anthem of Ukraine "God, the Great One..."
