“We remember to prevent it!” — Head of the UGCC to the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor in Ukraine
Today, November 26, the last Saturday of November, Ukraine commemorates the victims of the Holodomor of 1932–1933 — the largest of the three Holodomors, the Soviet regime genocide of the Ukrainian people. On the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor, prayer and a commemorative event, “Light a candle,” are held in Kyiv and throughout Ukraine.
The Father and Head of the UGCC, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, presided over Panakhyda at the Holodomor Victims Memorial in Kyiv.
“Today we commemorate the 90th anniversary of the beginning of the great famine in Ukraine in 1932–1933. In prayer, we bow our heads over those who became victims of Stalin’s terror and were killed by hunger in Ukraine, — said His Beatitude Sviatoslav in his speech on the 90th anniversary of the Holodomor-genocide. — This day should remind us, on the one hand, that we must pray for those from whom the right to pray was taken away, who were not allowed to be decently buried according to Christian custom, and on the other hand, to remember that this great famine was a planned genocide of the Stalinist regime, a consequence of the loss of Ukrainian statehood.”
The Head of the UGCC emphasized that the loss of statehood leads to genocides and the extermination of people. That is what happened throughout the history of Ukraine in the 20th century.
“Unfortunately, it happened in history that when we lost our statehood, the northern aggressor exterminated our people. The same is happening today. The enemy tells us to surrender our country. However, we understand that by losing our statehood, and we again become victims of genocide. No wonder Pope Francis found a deep internal connection between those two tragedies — the Genocide-Holodomor of 90 years ago and the genocide that Russia is wreaking on the land of Ukraine today.”
“We pray today to protect our people from a new deadly threat, which is now openly being carried by Russia to take away the Ukrainian people’s right to exist. We remember to prevent,” said the Head of the UGCC, calling on Ukrainians to commemorate the victims of the Holodomor of 1930.”
“We should unite and do everything in our power,” urged the Head of the UGCC, “so such crimes never happen again on Ukrainian soil. We remember to prevent it! Eternal memory to all those who were deprived of their right to life and existence and who became victims of the great famine in Ukraine!”
The UGCC Department for Information
