Mutual respect and love can heal the painful wounds of genocide, Head of the UGCC

Thursday, 01 October 2020, 10:56

Ukrainians, like Jews, Armenians and Poles, are a post-genocidal nation, and the wounds caused by genocide still hurt. It is the religious leaders who are responsible for healing these wounds. Today, the Lord God gives Jews, Orthodox, Catholics, and Greek Catholics medicine to heal these wounds. And such medicines are mutual respect and love. This was stated by His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Father and Head of the UGCC, in a special project of the ICTV TV channel.

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The TV project “Babyn Yar. Holocaust Memorial Center” is dedicated to the 79th anniversary of the tragedy in Babyn Yar. His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Head of the UGCC, Yakiv Dov Blykh, Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, and Archbishop Evstratiy Zorya, spokesman for the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine were invited to take part in it.

Answering the question of how to bring together people of different faiths and build a tolerant, calm and healthy society, the Head of the UGCC first of all noted that religious communities stand for the protection of the sanctity and inviolability of human life. After all, all people are created in the image and likeness of God. All are brothers. "None of us is better or worse than our neighbor," he said.

According to the Primate of the UGCC, it is the sanctity of human life and the dignity of every human person, regardless of their national, ethnic origin, religious beliefs or political affiliation, that is the basis for building a Ukrainian state and unite humanity on its global scale.

His Beatitude Sviatoslav recalled that Ukrainians, like Jews, Armenians and Poles, are a post-genocidal nation, and stressed that the wounds caused by genocide still hurt.

"To all of us, Jews, Orthodox, Catholics, Greek Catholics, the Lord God is giving medicine today to heal these wounds. And such medicines are mutual respect and love," His Beatitude Sviatoslav said.

The Head of the UGCC expressed concern that due to the escalation of the wounds of genocide, "the ghosts of old totalitarianism are beginning to wander, which are now taking on new forms."

The Head of the UGCC called on everyone to learn to love - not in words, but in actions.

"If you say that you are patriots, love your homeland, do something good for her every day. Do not perceive your Motherland through the prism of utilitarianism, but think what you can offer for her prosperity," His Beatitude Sviatoslav urged.

The Head of the UGCC expressed hope that it is the love for people and the desire for their unity that will allow a country, which consists of many nations, religious structures, churches, organizations, to unite. "We must discover that good, bright side of our heart, believe in it and live according to it," His Beatitude Sviatoslav summed up.

The UGCC Department for Information