Цифрове Пастирство В Умовах Російсько-Української Війни: Трансформація Форм Духовної Опіки Церкви

The article analyzes the transformation of forms of spiritual care and the public presence of Christian Churches in Ukraine in the context of the Russian–Ukrainian war through the lens of digital pastoral care. It demonstrates that the intensive mediatization of religious life, which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly accelerated under wartime conditions and acquired new functional dimensions. Digital technologies are no longer merely auxiliary tools of communication; rather, they emerge as a factor of profound transformation of religious experience, forms of community, and models of pastoral ministry. Drawing on a range of empirical examples, the author shows that the existential challenges of war have catalyzed a shift from the traditional model of «religion online» (informational presence) to a fully developed «digital religion», in which cyberspace becomes an autonomous environment for the performance of rituals, pastoral counseling, and the formation of networked communities. It is argued that, under wartime conditions, digital pastoral care performs several key functions: spiritual-therapeutic (supporting believers in crisis situations), informational-communicative (articulating the Church’s position and interpreting events), socio-mobilizational (volunteering, fundraising, humanitarian activities), and memorializing. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of official digital resources of the major Christian denominations in Ukraine (the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and Protestant communities), which demonstrate a high level of integration into the media environment and an orientation toward fostering national solidarity. Specific instruments of digital pastoral care are identified, ranging from the service-oriented model of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (the «My Church» application) and the interactive media platform of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church («Live TV»), to the ascetic and educational practices of the Roman Catholic Church (the «Credo» portal and the «My Exodus» project) and the individualized missionary practices of Protestantism (the YesHeis application). At the same time, the study outlines the specific features of the digital strategy of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, characterized by the active use of online platforms to promote apologetic narratives, construct an alternative informational field, and shape the image of a «persecuted Church». It is shown that the digitalization of religion is accompanied by a transformation of spiritual authority: the clergy appear not only as local pastors but also as public media actors interacting with an extended online community.