In his daily video message, the Father and Primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church once once more speaks of the struggle of Ukrainians to defend their dignity and their right to exist. “We see our wounded soldiers, who with their wounds tell us that Ukraine cries out to God and to the conscience of others for salvation.”
Vatican News
“Ukraine is still bleeding. Rivers of tears flow through our Homeland. A sea of pain, pain and crying that reaches the heavens. The Primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Sviatolav Shevchuk, affirms this in his video message on May 11, when Ukraine lives and endures 77 days of Russian aggression.
Summarizing once once more the military activity carried out by Russia on Ukrainian territory in the last day, he describes that the enemy “is relentlessly trying to advance”, storming cities and towns, bombing them with all kinds of weapons that exist today:
They try to destroy our cities and towns with aerial bombs. Artillery and other types of weapons are firing incessantly. But our defenders bravely protect our Motherland. That is why we say that Ukraine is standing. Ukraine is struggling. Ukraine defends its dignity and its right to exist.
Hear the cry of the Ukrainians
It is almost impossible to completely evacuate people from the war zone – he laments – showing that they are also deliberately trying to “bomb the small ways of life through which people can still escape from Russian bombs and shells. That is why – he adds – it is so important today for all of us to listen to the cries of Ukrainians: of children, of women, of families”.
The frailty of man
Monsignor Shevchuk dedicates the second part of his video message to reflect on another work of mercy: “Visiting the sick”. And noting how during the pandemic it was possible to verify “how fragile and vulnerable man is”, he notes how deep are the wounds that modern man carries in his soul and in his body, although civilization continues to develop.
Have faith in victory over disease
“Being sick in times of war is a shame and almost a tragedy” he adds and specifies that in addition to adequate medical care to overcome the disease, courage and faith are necessary, “to have faith in victory over the disease”.
A person must believe that with the help of modern medicine, with the help and care of good people, he is able to overcome this or that disease. Today Ukraine, the Ukrainian people are deeply hurt. Perhaps we did not realize until the end how deep the wounds of this war are in the body of Ukraine. We see our wounded soldiers, who with their wounds tell us that Ukraine cries out to God and to the conscience of others for salvation.
Thanks to the doctors who save lives in Ukraine
For this, Monsignor Shevchuk thanks “especially the doctors who really show the pinnacle of the art of medicine to save lives in Ukraine” without forgetting those who care for the sick, “doing everything possible so that each patient, especially in war conditions, do not feel alone and abandoned”.
I really ask all who listen to me, to remember that you may have a sick person somewhere: serve him, visit him. Maybe call him on the phone. Because all the attention, the support of relatives, acquaintances, close friends, volunteers is essential for the person to overcome his illness.
Concluding, the Primate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church asks the Lord to “stop this war; that people do no more harm”. And he assures that only God has “that medicine with which man’s wounds can be healed.”
