Today is the International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Genocide Crimes, Commemoration of Their Human Dignity and Prevention of These Crimes. Every year, the world marks this day, condemning the acts of genocide of the past and emphasizing the inadmissibility of such acts in the future. But, unfortunately, now, in the 21st century, in the center of Europe, before the eyes of the whole world, a real GENOCIDE of the Ukrainian people is taking place.
Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, emphasized this in his address.
It did not appear suddenly. It has been systematically pursued by Russia for more than three centuries. The Russian Empire, then the Soviet Union, and now Putin’s Russia are trying to erase the identity of the Ukrainian people. They banned our language, faith, traditions, rewrote our history, robbed and annexed our Church. For centuries, they humiliated our people in every way, sending them to perish in their imperial wars or languishing in prisons. Millions of Ukrainians were exterminated by famine and repression. And now tens of millions of Ukrainians are victims of a war that is hitting us with exceptional brutality.
Mass killings of the civilian population are a sign of genocide. In various corners of our country, until recently flourishing and cozy, there are numerous victims of Russian violence. Tortured, broken, and raped. Men, women, children… Destruction of civil infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, hospitals… They aredepriving people of the essentials – water, food, heat, and light… No military necessity could have prompted this. These are deliberate, pre-planned, brutal attacks and murders with a clear goal: to destroy our national identity, to “de-Ukrainize” Ukraine. And these crimes are purposefully committed by non-humans, those who not only have no God in their hearts, but who have lost their human form altogether.
Nothing can justify crimes against humanity, when the value of human life, a gift of God, is simply leveled. And it’s not enough to just condemn these crimes. Evil must be stopped!
Therefore, on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Genocide Crimes, Commemoration of Their Human Dignity and Prevention of These Crimes, I once again call on the world community: by condemning, act decisively! You can’t compromise with evil, you can’t be afraid of it – that’s how you give it strength. Evil must be curbed to prevent its spread. Protect yourself and the future of the world from the encroachments of a sick empire that will not stop at Ukraine unless it is punished. The history and experience of other countries fully prove this. Now is the time to openly talk about it and testify the truth to the world.
Today, our Church will pray for all innocent victims of Russian aggression and the plotted genocide of the Ukrainian people. We ask the Lord to grant them eternal peace in His bright abodes. Help us, our Savior, to protect the land given by You, our native home, from the anger of foreigners.
