In the New Year, Major Archbishop of Kiev declares that “despite everything, Ukraine is resisting, Ukraine is fighting, Ukraine is praying.”
The first explosion recorded in the Ukrainian capital Kiev was on February 24, 2022, the beginning of Russia’s invasion of the country.
Newsroom (05/01/2023 8:48 AM, Gaudium Press). On the first day of the year, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church and Major Archbishop of Kiev-Halyč, comments on the difficult situation in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, 2022: “The last day of the past year was very turbulent for our country, while New Year’s Eve was almost hellish. Yesterday, the Russians once again launched a massive missile attack against Ukraine: at least 20 missiles hit our homeland and a large number of them were directed at the city of Kyiv.”
The Archbishop comments that on the first day of the year, the country’s capital dawned wounded: “People died, there are many injured and houses were destroyed in the center of our capital. Some subway stations were closed due to rocket debris on the platforms. On this first day of the new year, our capital is beginning to recover from that hard blow to the heart of our homeland.”
He reveals that on the night of the turn of the year, at least 32 air targets – Russian missiles and Iranian drones – were shot down over Kyiv. “The enemy tried to steal the Ukrainians’ New Year’s Eve party, but, thank God, it did not succeed. Despite everything, today, on this first day of the new year, we want to announce to the whole world that Ukraine is resisting, Ukraine is fighting, Ukraine is praying.”
Shevchuk: The First Primate Enthroned in Kiev in 400 Years
At the head of the Major Archieparchy of Kiev-Halyč since March 2011, with the selection confirmed by Pope Benedict XVI, Shevchuk has sought to keep the flame of faith burning among the country’s Catholics.
The major archiepiscopate of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was created by Pope St. Paul VI on December 23, 1963, following requests by Josyp Slipyj, then archieparch of Lviv, for the creation of a patriarchate united with the Catholic Church. At the time, Slipyj was in exile in Rome,
The Lviv Archieparchy of Ukrainians was the seat of the major archbishop until December 6, 2004, when it was transferred to the capital Kiev, with the authorization of Pope Saint John Paul II, after the consensus reached at the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, held from October 5 to 12 of the same year.
Shevchuk was enthroned as major archbishop on March 27, 2011, in the new mother church of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ, which was still under construction at the time. He was the first primate to be enthroned in Kiev in 400 years.
Archbishop Cites Heroes of the Old Testament
In his discourse on the difficult situation experienced by Ukrainians, Archbishop Shevchuk recalls the heroes of the Old Testament. He refers to them as “people with virtues and faults, who experienced the history carefully led by God up to the mystery of the Incarnation of his Son, carving out his majestic design in human history, aimed above all at the good of man and the whole world,” He expressed his hope in the good that God can draw from the tragic events caused by war:
“The Lord God can make a living shoot sprout from a dry tree, a shoot of salvation, and, despite clumsy human tricks, lead a beautiful dance of this divine story of salvation, create harmonious music out of the noise and clamor, draw light from the dark chaos.”
He explains that the epicenter of Russian attacks has always been the city of Kiev, but heavy fighting continues to occur in other cities, especially in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions.
About New Year’s Eve, he reveals, “About 40 attack drones were launched from Russia against our peacefully sleeping cities and populated centers. In the city of Kyiv alone, 22 attack drones were launched during the night. It was a noisy night. There is damage to critical infrastructure for energy supply.”
“Again, our capital city was without light, without electricity. Again, civilians died. Again, war has strained the lives and health of our girls and boys. But we are alive and this morning we thank the Lord God and the Armed Forces of Ukraine that we can continue to live for God and our beloved Motherland.”
In his vent, he refers to the resistance of Ukrainian soldiers: “Our brave Armed Forces of Ukraine are not only holding back the attacks of the enemy, but are trying, step by step, to continue the process of liberation of our cities and towns, expelling the occupier and the murderous aggressor from the land of Ukraine. And today, again, we want to announce with joy that Ukraine is standing! Ukraine fights! Ukraine prays!”
The Alpha and The Omega, The Beginning and The End’.
After mentioning the heroes of the Old Testament, Shevchuk evokes the words of Christ in the Revelation of St. John: “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end,’ says the Lord God, the One who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty!” (Rev 1:8) And he concludes:
“Revelation brings us the words of Christ. He has already come, but for those who believe, He always comes, always arrives. The liturgy of the Church is, above all, a spiritual and prayerful experience that permeates history and develops dynamically until the final fulfillment of time. The feast of Christmas has a great spiritual meaning: that the Lord always comes to meet us. Every moment of our life can be the moment of meeting. That is why our constant openness to God’s visits is so important, so that we do not miss the moment when the Lord comes.”
Compiled by Florence MacDonald
