A meeting of students with Borys Gudziak, Archbishop of the Philadelphia Archdiocese of the UGCC and the President of the University, was held at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv. The conversation was devoted to the topic of solidarity and internal stability of Ukrainian society in conditions of full-scale war.
This was reported by Ukrainian Catholic University.
During the meeting, students shared their own experience of mutual support, learning and life in conditions of constant stress, danger and loss. Metropolitan Borys, for his part, emphasized that everyday life, learning and preserving human ties are a form of resistance to the aggressor.
“Putin wants to destroy Ukraine, to deny what is dear to us. The fact that you live, learn, and do not give up in spirit and deed is an important form of resistance, especially in recent weeks, when there is a brutal attempt to freeze Ukrainians. Many people in the world are amazed at your endurance,” he noted.
He emphasized that there are many people in the world who are following the events in Ukraine, supporting Ukrainians with prayer, advocacy, and concrete actions – in particular, they are appealing to politicians in the United States and other countries to achieve further support for Ukraine.
He also drew attention to the changing international context and warned that the war has not become less brutal, and the threats to Ukraine persist and intensify.
During the conversation, Metropolitan Borys outlined a number of topics that, in his opinion, are critically important for young people in wartime:
- Solidarity and trust. Ukrainians are not alone – millions of people in the world support Ukraine with their thoughts and actions.
- Psychological endurance. Constant negativity, stress, and fatigue affect social and personal relationships, so it is important to maintain internal balance and the ability to recover.
- Communication and mutual support. Mental health is easier to maintain in a community where there is the ability to say “thank you” and “sorry.”
- Critical attitude to expectations. High expectations from people often lead to disappointment; it is important to perceive others realistically.
- Information and psychological warfare. Attacks on energy infrastructure and civilian life are aimed at dividing society and intensifying internal conflicts.
At the same time, the metropolitan emphasized that even small good deeds have a cumulative effect and form the long-term stability of society.
He also called on students to share their own experience of living and studying during the war in an English-language format, establish contacts with international student organizations, in particular in Asian and African countries, and use education as a tool for representing Ukraine in the world.
Summing up the meeting, Metropolitan Borys Gudziak emphasized that it is the youth who are the source of hope and motivation – through their ability to combine learning, loss, caring for loved ones, and responsibility for the future of the country.
The meeting became part of a broader dialogue in the university community about the role of education, solidarity, and personal responsibility in the context of a protracted war.
Photo: UCU
Author: Inna Mikhno