Summarizing the past year for KAI, Bishop Swiatosław Shevchuk noted that Ukraine has experienced great international solidarity, mainly from the Catholic world. “The Russian occupier and colonizer was amazed that the world sided with Ukraine. They were convinced that Ukraine was of no interest to anyone and no one needed it,” he said.
We publish the text of the summary of the Grand Archbishop of kyiv-Halytsk:
“We live in a time of daily and uninterrupted miracles. The very fact that we are alive proves it. We survived the whole year and, according to Russian plans, we were supposed to cease to exist and celebrate the New Year. Last year Ukraine was supposed to disappear. On the other hand, we experienced great international solidarity, mainly from the Catholic world, and thanks to this solidarity we survived. The Russian occupier and colonizer was amazed that the world would side with Ukraine. They were convinced that Ukraine was of no interest to anyone and that no one needed it. No one in the world would go to a confrontation with Russia to defend Ukraine. That didn’t happen. The words of St. Augustine come to mind when he said that it is not the criminal who wins, but the victim. Of course, he meant the Lord Jesus. But at the end of 2022, these words also apply perfectly to us. s, we as the victim are victorious.
During this dramatic period in the life of our Catholic Church in Ukraine, in Poland, in Europe and in the world, it has become clear that Christianity is not just a beautiful idea. We believe in a specific living person who truly saves and saves us. The tangibility of the faith of the Church in Ukraine has been combined with a real relationship between God and man and with relationships within the churches in Europe and in the world. We have seen that humanitarian aid alone is not enough, but that people need a human community that embraces and accepts them. We must first show our humanity and then provide humanitarian aid.
We want to express, in the spirit of the Eucharist, great gratitude to God that we are alive, that he, as master of history and of life, opens the door to the new year for us. The novelty of next year does not come from man and his calendar, but from the Holy Spirit who renews the face of the earth. We are grateful to the Catholic Church around the world. In a special way, I would like to thank the Catholic Church in Poland. The spontaneous aid given to Ukraine is nothing other than the proclamation of faith in Jesus Christ. We are fully aware that the Poles help us in the name of the Lord. It is the testimony of a truly believing nation. Then comes the rest, diplomacy, politics, security issues, etc. First, it is faith and love for God, and love and solidarity with a person who is suffering. We are extremely grateful to the Polish nation and to the Church, which helps so much, moves the hearts of Poles so that they do not forget the crimes and the pain that Ukraine is currently experiencing.
On horses, I wish Ukraine and the whole world the victory of Good, Truth, life over death. We are sure that Ukraine will win. On the first day of the war, I addressed a message to the faithful of our Church, in which I reminded them that in the 20th century, those who started two world wars lost, and so will they now. I am sure that neither death, nor crime, nor sin have the last word in the story. This is why we live and work for the victory of truth and justice, which will be the foundation of peace. Today, no nation or state in the world desires peace as much as Ukraine does, a genuine peace based on truth and justice.
