Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his wish that everyone’s efforts will be dedicated to creating a world where justice, compassion and the sanctity of life will be protected as sacred values, after the Divine Liturgy, which he officiated, on Sunday, November 26, 2023, at the Church of Agios Nikolaos Tzivalios, at the end of which a Holy Memorial Service for the victims of the “Holodomor” [1932-1933] was held. the food crisis in Ukraine, in which millions of people have died of hunger, and the victims of the ongoing war in that country.
That’s according to Orthodox News.
Specifically, the Ecumenical Patriarch, addressing the congregation, and especially the members of the Ukrainian community, referred to the tragedy of the Holodomor, which, as he said, was planned and imposed by the atheist and totalitarian Stalinist regime to force God-fearing Ukrainians to submit to the Soviet idea.
“This dark chapter of human history, recognized as genocide by many sovereign states, is testimony to the depth of human suffering inflicted on the Ukrainian people. The very essence of this catastrophe lies not only in the lack of food, but in the deliberate actions taken by the Soviets to suppress the spirit of the Ukrainian nation, confiscating its basic means of survival. The oppression used to subjugate a people and the denial of their fundamental human rights are an affront to the divine image imprinted on every soul. The Holodomor was not just an economic or political disaster. It was a profound moral and spiritual test of the resilience of the Ukrainian people and their right to exist.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch added that such acts of hatred and discrimination call us to stand in solidarity with those who have endured unimaginable hardship, recognizing our common responsibility for the well-being of humanity, and pointed out that as a Church, “we must actively seek justice, offer compassion to those who suffer and fight for a world where the rights and dignity of every human being are protected. May our collective efforts be guided by the principles of love, reconciliation and unwavering commitment to defending the sanctity of life.”
Concluding his speech, he reiterated the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s support to the Ukrainian people suffering from the war unleashed by the Russian Federation against their homeland. He wished that similar tragedies such as the Holodomor would never be repeated, which, he said, should inspire us “to be vigilant guardians of human dignity, defenders of justice and beacons of hope for a world where the intrinsic value of each individual is recognized and respected.”
A short speech was given by the Consul General of Ukraine in Istanbul, Mr. Roman Nedilskyi.
