Frozen conflicts arise where human’s heart freezes at another man’s misfortune, - bishop Bohdan Dziurakh

Tuesday, 20 November 2018, 23:06

November 18, 2018, cardinal Peter Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development on his final day of staying in Ukraine celebrated a Mass in Latin rite in St. Oleksandr Cathedral in Kyiv.

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The Service was a “significant and thankful prayer of Ukrainian Churches and people for loyal support in the frame of humanitarian campaign “Pope for Ukraine”.

Papal Legate celebrated Mass together with Apostolic Nuncio of Ukraine Claudio Gugerotti, Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic bishops and priests of both Catholic Churches. UGCC was represented by bishop Bohdan Dziurakh, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of UGCC, bishop Vasyl Tuchapets, Exarch of Kharkiv and bishop Yosyf Milyan, bishop-auxiliary of Kyiv.

At the beginning of the Liturgy Secretary of the Synod of Bishops in his homily thanked cardinal Turkson and His Holiness on behalf of Head of Church, all bishops and all faithful for a campaign called “Pope for Ukraine”, which testifies that neither Pope nor Catholic Church in Europe did not forget about pain of Ukrainian people who suffer from Russian aggression. While running this campaign there was not only works of mercy that matter but the words of truth said about Ukraine at all catholic parishes on the old continent. At the same time, however, as for UGCC representative “mercy and love are not a one-time campaign or event but a constant willingness of the heart which inflames with comforting and merciful love”. He convinced that Ukrainian people will henceforth feel solidarity, closeness and support by Pope and every truly faithful person in Europe.

The preacher remarked that voices are being heard from some surroundings and some steps are being taken in turning the present war in Ukraine into a “frozen conflict”. In this respect bishop Bohdan stated that it cannot happen in Ukraine, because “frozen conflicts occur once a human’s heart freezes, - freezes with indifference and insesitiveness to someone’s grief”. He recalled words of Jesus Christ here: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” and encouraged all the present to pray for “not letting indifference freeze humans’ hearts, on the contrary, warm one another with God’s love even more, especially those who in our society are the most needy ones”.

The UGCC Department for Information