In Holy Land UGCC Patriarch calls on Ukrainians and Russians to peace
On September 12, 2015, Head of the UGCC Patriarch Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) spoke at the regular annual Plenary Assembly of the Bishops' Conferences of EU, taking place in the Holy Land at the invitation of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 11 to 16 September.
The Patriarch briefed on the circumstances of the pastoral ministry of the Church in Ukraine, highlighting the suffering of the people of Ukraine, more than a million victims and the silence of the international press. The hierarch thanked the churches of Europe and Caritas foundation for their help and urged to raise awareness of the ongoing conflict and suffering experienced by Ukrainian people.
On September 13, Head of the UGCC called for peace and reconciliation in English, Italian, Spanish and Ukrainian languages:
“Here, in the Holy Land, near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus Christ called His Apostles for the mission of preaching the Gospel, I feel it my duty to address both the Ukrainian and the Russian people calling for peace and reconciliation.
Interesting enough, this year we mark the millennium of martyrdom of Saints Borys and Hlib, who were the first fruits of the baptism of Kyivan Rus in the times of St. Volodymyr. We know that Boris and Hlib were skilled warriors, they returned from the war against invaders who attacked their country in the steppe, but they refused to take up arms against their brother Svyatopolk and thus suffered martyrdom ... Therefor I really want to urge everyone to reconciliation and termination of all violence in Ukraine from here, from the Holy Land. May God help us!
Someone might say, “Well, the call for peace and reconciliation during war is a utopia! This is something unreal!” But let us have a look at the history of Europe, it was during WWII that the glorious parents today united Europe – Konrad Adenauer and Schumann just started this process of reconciliation between the two warring nations.
May the LORD God help us stop the war in Ukraine through power of Christ's words, the power of faith in the only gospel of Christ.”
This year the participants of the Plenary Assembly of the Bishops' Conferences of EU include His Beatitude Sviatoslav, UGCC Head, Archbishop Petro Malchuk O.F.M., Bishop of Kyiv-Zhytomyr and Bishop Milan Šašik, Eparch of Mukachevo. It was reported by Vatican Radio.
