photo: vaticannews.va
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During the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum, presided over by Pope Francis this Friday, April 15, the cross is to be held by Ukrainian and Russian families working together at the hospice. Such an initiative caused a number of outrages among priests, bishops, nuns, lay people, and so on.
At the same time, Father Dr. Oleksandr Kusiy, a Catholic media officer in the Lviv Archdiocese, told Lviv Now that representatives of the Catholic Church had done a lot to prevent the Ukrainian-Russian Way of Cross from happening.
«For three days now, I have seen that both on social networks and on their personal pages, bishops unequivocally express their opinion that this cannot be done. That it takes time for such statements and such actions in general. Therefore, what the Nuncio handed over to the Vatican must also suffice, because he has a direct right and duty to inform the Vatican, the Apostolic Capital, of what is happening and how things are going. That’s why it’s the most important thing that has been done,» – he said.
Read also: Would Ukrainian and Russian lead the way of cross in Rome together? Diplomacy reaction
The father adds that another matter is how the Vatican and the Pope will react.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, also responded to the Pope’s call for an Easter armistice for war-torn Ukraine in an interview with Vatican Radio.
«We know very well who started the war. If this war is taking place in Ukraine, it is not Ukraine that started it. Therefore, when it comes to the embodiment of these words of the Holy Father, it is the Russian side that started this terrible war, it is necessary to think about what goals they should sacrifice. Because war itself is unacceptable, and from a Christian point of view, we must put human lives and human rights above all else – above our political views, our military views,» – he said.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the head of the UGCC, has already conveyed to the Vatican the numerous negative reactions of many bishops, priests, monks and nuns and laity, who are convinced that gestures of reconciliation will be possible only when the war is over and those guilty of crimes against humanity are justly convicted.
«I consider such an idea untimely, ambiguous and such that it does not take into account the context of Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. For the Greek Catholics of Ukraine, the texts and gestures of the XIII station of this Way of the Cross are incomprehensible and even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier attack of Russian troops on our cities and villages. I know that our Roman Catholic brothers share these thoughts and experiences,» – he said.
Therefore, the head of the UGCC asked to reconsider this project.
Father Pavlo Baloh, director of the Institute of Religious Sciences of St. Thomas Aquinas in Kyiv, stressed in a comment to Lviv Now that most likely, the Vatican and Western society in general, uninformed about who are the majority of Russians and Russia today, often believe that both nations suffer equally from the Russian dictator. Therefore, they are in a hurry to combine «these two victims» of the dictatorship.
«If we are talking about the XIII Station of the Way of the Cross in Rome, then whatever the great goals of the organizers, not only Pope Francis, but above all the relevant curialists of the Vatican, the means are completely inappropriate. The sign, especially in such sensitive matters as war, death, tragedy, etc., should be unambiguous and not cause misreading,» – the father says.
According to the clergyman, the representatives of Russia were very approving of this action and believe that the Vatican «will not bend under the protests of militant nationalists and Russophobes» from Ukraine.
«In short, a completely evangelical sign of reconciliation, which, however, must take place after the repentance of the offender and after overcoming the destruction and grief, will inspire this offender to establish himself in «his kindness, openness, and righteousness», unlike Ukraine and Ukrainians, who cannot perceive this sign today.
Therefore, we must pray that the Vatican will be able to reach and convey the true state and affairs of today, as well as that the views of all victims must be heard. And we also hope that this Way of the Cross will not cause even greater damage to Ukraine and Ukrainians,»- the director of the Institute of Religious Sciences named after Thomas Aquinas in Kyiv summed up.
It will be recalled that in March 2022, Pope Francis performed an act of consecration of Ukraine, Russia and the whole world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Pope also repeatedly prayed for Ukraine and the end of the war, organized world prayer days, and visited the Russian Embassy in the Vatican for peace. These are important things that deserve praise and gratitude. However, after the whole free world (and even the UN) called this war unjustified, unprovoked aggression and massacre, Russia an aggressor and Putin a war criminal, the behaviour of Vatican diplomacy surprises with its uncertainty and fear of calling a spade a spade.
Roman Tyshchenko-Lamanskyi, Olha Koval
Translated by Vitalii Holich
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