Russia’s Aggression Against Ukraine Is the Greatest War of Modern Humanity Since World War II: Head of the UGCC in the 100th week of the war
It is already the 100th week of the great brutal war that the Russian occupier has brought to the peaceful Ukrainian land. Not many in the world today realize that this is the most extensive armed conflict in the world since World War II — the largest in terms of the number of military forces involved on both sides, the number of victims, the intensity of hostilities, and the length of the front line. The Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, emphasized this in a video message on the 100th week of the full-scale war.
A Russian tank burns in a field near the town of Vuhledar, Donetsk region, photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
The Primate said that this week, Ukraine suffered the heaviest missile attacks on January 8 and 13.
He also noted that the leaders of the Christian Churches and organizations of Ukraine, including the UGCC, have issued a separate appeal to the world in which they emphasized that Russia’s war against Ukraine has an explicit ideological background, the inspiration of which is, to our shame, the Christian Church — the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate).
“We, the authors of the letter,” added the Head of the UGCC, “condemned the ideology of the ‘Russkiy mir’, which today undermines the credibility of Christian witness in the world, because Christians kill Christians, and one of the Churches generates modern genocidal ideology. It undermines the confidence of modern people in the Gospel of Christ and is a challenge for all Christians, regardless of denomination.”
His Beatitude Sviatoslav stated that more than 600 churches and religious buildings in Ukraine had been destroyed during the war. He, therefore, called on the world to unanimously condemn Russia’s war crimes against the civilian population of Ukraine, along with the genocidal, murderous ideology that generates and justifies these atrocities.
“We want the world to hear about the tragedy of the largest war of modern humanity since the end of World War II, that Ukraine stands, Ukraine fights, Ukraine prays!” the Head of the UGCC emphasized.
In his address, the Patriarch mentioned two potent gestures of support from His Holiness Pope Francis. On January 8, the Pope delivered a traditional message to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See. He condemned the aggressor country, Russia, which has launched and is waging a war against Ukraine.
“It is noteworthy that the Holy Father gave careful consideration to what I wrote to him before this papal message to the world’s diplomats,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav. “Therefore, I thank him for listening to the voice of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.”
The second gesture of support is the Pope’s letter of response to His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in which the Pontiff expresses his closeness and support for the Ukrainian people, says he cries with all those who cry, and prays for the innocent victims.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav thanked the Holy Father for his support and appeal to the conscience of the entire world.
The UGCC Department for Information
