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ugcc.org.ua - The first day of visiting Archdiocese of Peruzzi on May, 17 started with praying and visiting world-famous Franciscan sanctuaries in Assisi.

 Before the Service Head of UGCC visited a sanctuary where, according to the legend, saint Francis took off his clothes as sign of denying and started his way of monastic life in poverty.

At 5pm in the church, where saint Francis was baptized, His Beatitude Sviatoslav prayed Mass together with cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Archbishop of Peruzzi and local bishop Domenico Sorrentino. Hieromonks-Franciscans co-served the archbishops.

After the Service Head of UGCC delivered a sermon to the present ones. Referring to the image of “naked” saint Francis who, with a gesture of renunciation and humiliation became similar to Jesus Christ himself, His Beatitude Sviatoslav explained the sense of a paschal faith: “Following saint Francis, who were bearing the wounds of Christ but who remains today in joy of Christ’s resurrection, we are certain that faith in humiliated, ragged and crucified Christ leads us to the resurrection”.

“Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, - told Head of Church, - in the past century suffered from humiliation, destruction and persecution by soviet government, but 25 years ago, thanks to the paschal faith, it rose from the dead”. His Beatitude Sviatoslav also reminded about “forgotten war in Ukraine and called for praying for its end”.

Head of UGCC visited a grave of saint Francis in the major basilica of Franciscan order, prayed in Saint Claire monastery and met with monks of Franciscan order. He asked them for praying for “ending the war what has been going on for 3 years, unceasingly”.

Secretariat of Head of UGCC in Rome