At this critical time of Ukraine’s fight for its independence and freedom, as well as for the freedom of all of Europe, the Ukrainian World Congress President Paul Grod addressed His Holiness Pope Francis and the Holy See in the Vatican, calling upon them to support Ukraine and provide a decisive response to russian aggression.
On behalf of the 20-million strong Ukrainian diaspora, uniting the faithful from many confessions, Mr Grod thanked Pope Francis for His continued calls to pray for Ukraine, for His attention to the war and for His unending support of Ukraine and its people. The UWC President also outlined the horrible war crimes, which the russian invaders are committing in Ukraine.
“russia’s unprovoked war against Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, countless wounded, war crimes, human rights abuses, and genocide. russia is responsible for the displacement of millions of innocent Ukrainians and for creating a global security and humanitarian disaster,” stressed Mr Grod in UWC’s appeal.
Considering that the russian leadership is systematically directing its criminal intentions and actions to intimidate and destroy the entire Ukrainian nation, denying its very right to existence, the UWC called upon the Holy See to stand strong with Ukraine and help the world to stop russian evil.
Specifically, the UWC called upon His Holiness to:
- Provide a clear assessment that russia is entirely responsible for the current war against Ukraine and its people
- Condemn the imperial and destructive ideology of “russkiy mir” that spreads aggression, hate, fear and discord to people across the globe, and has weaponized culture, language, and religion to spread hatred directed at the Ukrainian nation.
These steps of the Holy See and the Pope, as the religious and moral Leader of billions of faithful around the world, including millions of Ukrainians, are of utmost importance for the international community to combat russia’s aggression.
“We must put an end to the cynical and merciless policy of genocide that is killing tens of thousands of Ukrainians, and forcing millions to flee around the globe. The current genocide is a direct continuation of the genocide of the Ukrainian people in the Holodomor of 1932-33, which was perpetrated in the last century by soviet imperial forces with the same goal of destroying the Ukrainian nation.
“May the boundless power of God’s Love and God’s Mercy provide leadership and support for all of us during this horrific and global confrontation between the forces of Good and evil,” reads the official letter.
