On February 4, the Kirche in Not Charity held an online press conference entitled “Ukraine: The Church’s Experience over Eight Years of Armed Conflict.” His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, and Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, were the main speakers at the event. More than 70 journalists from Europe and beyond attended the press conference.
That’s according to the UGCC Information Resource.
In his address, Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych Sviatoslav (Shevchuk) thanked those present for their interest in the situation in Ukraine, and dwelled on the threat of a full-scale military invasion by Russia and the reaction of Ukraine’s religious community, including the UGCC clergy.
According to the bishop, the current escalation is not just a continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian war in Donbas, which has been going on for eight years already, or a consequence of the annexation of Crimea.
“Something very different is happening now. We are facing a full-scale escalation between Russia and the collective West. Ukraine in this context is only part of a wider panorama of various threats and tensions. So the Ukrainian crisis the one facing not only Ukrainians, but also Europe, as well as the United States and NATO allies,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk).
“Very often, especially in critical circumstances, people follow the guidelines offered by the Church on how to act in such a situation, how to make plans for life, how to develop our country, and how to defend our nation. So we feel responsible to all Ukrainian society and we are trying to make our own plan of what we should do, especially when there is a possibility of a full-scale military incursion by Russian troops that could come at any moment,” the head of the UGCC explained the clergy’s position.
In his opinion, in the current situation, it is very important for Christians to stand united, cooperate, and support each other. That is why, he added, the UGCC is developing the network capacity for coordination of the church community, thus offering several specific ways to respond. Among them are prayer, solidarity with those in need, communication of hope, and consolidation of society.
The bishop is convinced that when many people are losing hope, Christians should be its preachers.
“We hope that through prayer and international support, we will be able to say out loud: No to violence! No to war! No to war as a way to solve problems, be they national or international. Dialogue and solidarity will help us tackle any challenges, any problems arising in the modern world,” concluded His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk).
