The conference opened on May 14 with remarks from prominent Church figures, including His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State. Human rights advocate Myroslav Marynovych delivered the keynote address.
In his opening remarks, His Beatitude Sviatoslav stated: “Today in Ukraine, hope has many faces.” He continued: “We must not hesitate to stand up against lies, because violence and death constantly seek to justify themselves through slander and falsehood! In response to the darkness spread by our enemy, we shine the light of hope amid a confused and frightened humanity.”
Cardinal Parolin drew a parallel between the pontificates of Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis:
“Two popes, two voices, united by the same feeling, the same evangelical compassion, united in charting a path of hope — hope born of pain, a path of peace built on truth, a path of faith that does not yield to the logic of war.” He added that the theology of peace emerging from Ukraine “is not born in books, but from pain,” because “from this people come living testimonies to us.”
In his keynote address, Myroslav Marynovych focused on Ukraine’s witness to the world amid Russia’s brutal invasion, highlighting the pillar of Catholic social teaching embodied in Ukrainian resistance. “In an effort to survive, Ukraine appeals to the world in the language of values, and this is the language that will inevitably replace the language of national selfishness that has become so popular today. After all, the logic of national selfishness will inevitably lead to a new global conflict, as has happened many times in human history. Therefore, Ukraine’s sacrificial testimony gives hope that such an ending can be avoided,” Marynovych noted.
He concluded with a call to perseverance: “So let us not despair of the current rampant ‘time of Satan.’ Let us believe that behind it, in some invisible place, God is creating a new solution for the world — a new security system in international relations. And from the fact that Evil is so intent on destroying Ukraine, I assume that it is in Ukraine that this discernment is being matured. Therefore, the present era is not a time of despair, but one of true hope.”
Metropolitan Borys spoke on May 15 during the session titled "Ukraine — ‘Hoping from’: Sources and Cases," which explored how Ukraine’s lived experience of suffering and endurance becomes a source of hope for the wider world. The session was moderated by Oleh Turiy, historian and vice-rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, and featured scholars and leaders engaged in theology, ecology, and reconciliation.
Metropolitan Borys reflected on "circles and generations of hope," sharing his personal story: “I was lucky, at the age of 20, to belong to a circle of hope created by Josyf Slipyj — right here in Rome, on Via Boccea. Slipyj came to Rome after 18 years in prison and exile. He was 71. Instead of resting, he started building and creating. He often repeated the motto: Μεγάλα αἰτεῖσθε! Ask for great things! Dream big! And he was dreaming big. He launched the Ukrainian Catholic University and built Saint Sophia Cathedral.”
Metropolitan Borys emphasized that such circles of hope are “contagious and transgenerational.”
