About the hope that the life of the best daughters and sons of the Ukrainian land will not be in vain, but the freedom of the Ukrainian nation will be born from their sacrifice – said the father. teacher. Bogdan Prach, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University of Lviv. Prof. Prof. Prach was the special guest of the meeting of presidents, mayors and heads of municipalities of the pontifical cities organized by the “Dzieło Nowy Tysiąclecia” Foundation. The meeting took place at the House of the Archbishops in Warsaw. Prof. Prof. During his speech, Prach thanked the Poles for helping Ukraine and “an incredible outpouring of compassionate hearts”.

Prof. Prof. Bogdan Prach, Rector of Ukrainian Catholic University (UKU) shared his thoughts on “The Nativity of Christ – light in the thick darkness of evil” during the meeting.

He mentioned, among other things to the apostolic letter of St. John Paul II “Salvifici doloris”, in which the pope wrote that the suffering person needs presence, needs a love that will help him to accept even the most difficult truth about the loss of loved ones, about the loss of honest possessions, about the loss of health and that “the world of suffering constantly calls the world of love”. “The incredible wave of common movement of compassionate hearts that we experienced during the first weeks of the terrible war and that we experience to this day is the greatest gift of love, for which we thank everyone, especially the Poles, each one of us” – says Fr. prof. convenient.

He thanked the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the government, the presidents and mayors of Polish cities and all politicians. “The immediate reaction of the Polish government to a total, unjust and unprovoked aggression, an unambiguous position, initiative and tireless political activity on the international scene has destroyed and destroys the spirit of helplessness of many European governments and institutions, supporting the fights Ukraine by diplomatic, humanitarian and, in particular, military means” – underlined the rector of the UKU.

He thanked the Church in Poland, the clergy and ecclesiastical charities who provide humanitarian aid and all those who come from Ukraine and all those who need it so much there. He particularly thanked Foundation “Work of the New Millennium” for the help of Ukrainian youth. “We thank the Polish families who opened wide the doors of their homes and shared everything they have,” the father said. teacher. convenient.

He stressed that “in Polish Bethlehem everyone invites, everyone expects the wounded and the weary to give their love and compassion.” “Thank you for your generosity, for this material and personal dedication to thousands of families and volunteers. In the Bethlehem darkness of Ukrainian towns and villages, every day, every night, people expect another Russian rocket bombardment, another news of death and destruction. In the darkness of Bethlehem of cellars and trenches, the lord of death ceaselessly calls death. Residents of Ukrainian cities, artists, teachers, employees, fathers of families, defending their native land, give their lives every day. But today, in the darkness of Bethlehem, we wait in prayer for the light of Christ’s birth,” said the rector of UKU.

Prof. Prof. Prach assured that in Ukraine “everyone in the church and in the cellar, in the trench and on the operating table repeats: the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us is born, the one announced by the prophets is born , and the inhabitants of the land of darkness have long invoked him.”

He recalled the words of St. John Paul II, who said that “in the silence and darkness of the night, the light becomes a word and a message on earth” and added: “A message of hope that the sacrifice of life and the terrible suffering of the best sons and daughters of Ukrainian land, which we lose every day, will not go to misery. That this time, after several centuries of struggle and millions of victims, thanks to the united efforts of the whole democratic world, the Ukrainian nation and the other nations of the post-Russian empire will finally be free nations, they will develop in a Safe Europe.

The rector of UKU pointed out that this route is understandable to everyone, but still far away. “This path, all together patiently and with perseverance in this dense darkness of evil, hatred, destruction and death, united around the light of the born Christ, as we have been doing for eleven months, we must walk together . So help us God! – concluded Fr. prof. Convenient.

The brochure meeting organized by the “Dzieło Nowy Tysiąclecia” Foundation brought together several dozen presidents, mayors and heads of municipalities as well as local government officials from the “Pope’s Cities and Villages”. The meeting was held at the House of Archbishops in Warsaw. Among others, there was Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, President of the Polish Episcopate, Msgr. Wojciech Polak, Primate of Poland and Metropolitan of Warsaw, Cardinal Casimir Nycz. Participants were able to see with last year’s activities of the “Dzieło Nowy Tysiąclecia” Foundation, which many of them support, and learn about the Foundation’s plans for the future.