Ukrainian Church leader: 'we expect the whole Christian world to take our side'
February 23, 2015
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Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk has insisted that the struggle in Ukraine is the result of “direct aggression and invasion,” and not a civil war.
The leader of the Byzantine-rite Ukrainian Catholic Church spoke to reporters after the Ukrainian bishops completed their ad limina visits to Rome. In his official address to the visiting bishops, Pope Francis had referred to the violence in Ukraine as a “fratricidal conflict,” and called for action to restore peace, without pinning the blame for the conflict on Russia.
But Archbishop Shevchuk said that his country has been the victim of Russian aggression, and “we expect the whole Christian world to take our side.” He added that the Russian Orthodox Church has been a “powerful weapon” for Moscow, and the stand taken by the Moscow patriarchate—which has blamed the Ukrainian Catholic Church for stirring up the conflict—has been an impediment to ecumenical work.
Archbishop Shevchuk said that the Ukrainian Catholic Church wants to be “good neighbors,” and hopes for a restoration of talks with the Russian Orthodox Church. But at the moment there is no dialogue, he said. He also said that all Christians should work for an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Catholic leader said that he and his fellow bishops were encouraged by their meeting with Pope Francis. Although the Pope avoided any hint of political involvement in the conflict, and insisted that his appeal for peace was aimed at all parties, Archbishop Shevchuk reported that the Pope had told the Ukrainian bishops: “I’m shoulder-to-shoulder with you; I’m at your service.”
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Further information:
- Ukrainian Archbishop calls on Christians to help end conflict (Vatican Radio)
- Pope backs peace in Ukraine, avoids criticism of Russia, in meeting with country's bishops (CWN, 2/20)
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Posted by: Gregory108 -
Feb. 25, 2015 9:29 PM ET USA
Hard to believe the Pope is a student of the Barack Obama School of Diplomacy and International Leadership. Just like Obama told "both sides" to refrain from war, when Israel was bombed and then responded, so the Pope seems to have said that "both sides" need to avoid waging war and engaging in fratricidal conflict, after the Russians invade Ukraine, and continue to invade Ukraine, violating the cease-fire brokered by the US and Germany, killing thousands of people, but knowing there will be no consequences. As for what was said in private, Obama supports Ukraine in private too, but sends only blankets and meals ready to eat into the conflict. Just so, the Pope told the Ukrainian bishops in private that he is shoulder-to-shoulder with them! But that's all right. The Ukrainian Catholic Church is used to being swept under the rug by the world. How many thousands of Ukrainian bishops, archbishops, priests and faithful died by execution or in the snows of Siberia, while the world was hoping for avoidance of fratricidal conflict!
