Ukraine still needs our prayer

As we know, since April Ukraine’s Eastern provinces have experienced continual military confrontation between its government, and pro-Russian separatists and Russian forces, and more than 3,200 have been killed in the conflict.

Ukraine’s soldiers have been assisted by chaplains from the numerous Christian denominations in the country: Ukrainian Greek Catholics; Roman Catholics; Ukrainian Orthodox – both Moscow and Kyiv Patriarchates; and from Protestant communities.

There are six Redemptorists who are helping the solders during this difficult time (they change every few weeks). The presence of the priests helps the soldiers to find God. The chaplains pray with them, hear their Confessions, talk with them and celebrate the Eucharist for them. The presence of the chaplains gives the soldiers some peace of mind and heart during such a terrible time. Many have found their faith once again.

Two our Confreres from Lviv Province, Fr. Roman and Fr. Vitalij helps solders in this military confrontation at the present time. Let us pray for our Confreres and for peace in Ukraine.

A cleric of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church told Catholic News Agency under condition of anonymity that the Church has been warned by the nation’s military that the prize for the killing or capture of priest chaplains are doubled among the pro-Russian rebels.

Fr. Mihailo, CSsR, spent one month as a chaplain in Eastern Ukraine. He describes the situation as this: “There exists a kind of wall between us, when at the front we meet priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Moscow Patriarchate. (…) A military doctor upbraided me once for being a Greek Catholic priest. I responded, ‘While at war, let us both call God our Father, rather than focusing on the divide between Catholic and Orthodox.’”

Fr. Mihailo told me the story related to the bombardment of their camp. One day the soldiers left the camp in a hurry because they got a message that the bombardment of their military camp would begin. After the bombardment they found the camp totally damaged (all military cars, tents, guns, etc.) and only the cross which stood in the camp chapel was untouched. It was the sign to everyone. (You can see this cross in the picture).

There is no one ecumenical center for military chaplains for Ukraine’s armed forces. There is no legislation which allows priests to work in conflict zones. There is no official cooperation with the Orthodox in the case of military pastoral care. For now, everyone is going their own way, because they are in an undeclared war. There have been instances in which the Greek Catholic priests asked the Orthodox bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate to help in the liberation of prisoners, and it did help. But there has been no further cooperation.

Since the beginning of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine, there have been 31 Ukrainian Greek Catholic chaplains serving in the area as military chaplains. An official of the Roman Catholic Church estimated that there had been around 20 military chaplains from his rite.

Jacek Zdrzalek CSsR –  Coordinator of CRE