GOD, PLEASE, PROTECT UKRAINE

Fr. IRENEUSZ SKUBIŚ

Many people were killed. Hundreds of people need medical help. Streets, buildings of important institutions, houses were destroyed. This is a dramatic picture. In Europe of XXI century people kill people. So much is said about democracy, but it is still far to it; so much is said about freedom, but there is also lack of it. Somebody is taking away democracy and is destroying it. This all is happening in the eyes of the highly civilizationally developed world…

We were also experiencing our dramatic day of 13 December 1981 and long months of the martial law. I remember that morning when primate Józef Glemp arrived to Our Lady at Jasna Góra, in order to pray for peace in Poland, so that Poles would not be killed or blood would not flow. And although miners from the mine ‘Wujek’ lost their lives at that time, and there were a lot of other difficult events, but it was possible to prevent the civil war. And today we must thank God for it.

This time, we are anxious to look at the situation in the neighbouring Ukraine, where there used to be the environment of Polish culture and administration and where Poles’ hearts are still beating. Poland is united with Ukraine through the common history, which was great and wonderful. But as it often happens – there are people who want to divide the nation and cause conflicts in it. So, there were also events in the Polish-Ukrainian history, like massacre in Wołyń, where over 100 thousand Poles were killed, murdered by their neighbours. In fact, there are important and wise words: I apologize and forgive – and Christ encourages us to it. Therefore, after years, time of reconciliation and forgiveness has come, we want to think about different better future and brotherhood of our nations. So, we must not be indifferent to the fate of Ukraine and its inhabitants, who have a right to choose the European way of existence, to what can build, not destroy. It is possible in the conditions of freedom, peace, respecting rights of another man, good competitiveness. We wish Ukraine democracy, national peace and friendship among people, so that the country would take care of its citizens, their employment and safety. And the Ukrainian nation is aiming at it, the Ukrainian Church is praying for it, as well as the Orthodox Church which appears as a determined and important intercessor of peace and the national agreement.

Whole Poland is praying for Ukraine today, for the Ukrainian nation, and also for Poles living there, who have some of their families in our country. It was just in Lvov where king Jan Kazimierz was once taking vows in front of the picture of Our Lady Merciful. Today we are asking the Queen of Poland from Jasna Góra, to embrace the Ukrainians and Poles in Ukraine with her care, so that the nations which used to be so close to each other, today would be together in their aiming at freedom and democracy, to truthfulness and honesty in the both national and civilian life. Let good God support Ukraine and save it from bloodshed and destruction.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 9/2014

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl