UWC concerned by Pope’s latest statements

Together with millions of Ukrainians of all faiths around the world, the Ukrainian World Congress expresses its concern over His Holiness Pope Francis’ recent disorienting statements regarding the war in Ukraine. 

 We are sincerely grateful for His Holiness’s prayers for peace in Ukraine, and for the care the Pope tends to his global Ukrainian flock, but we are concerned over his public statements regarding Russian aggression which unjustly equate the aggressor with its victim. 

Ukraine and her heroic people are the victims of an inhumane and unprovoked war of aggression that has been unleashed by Putin’s regime in the Kremlin’s bid to throw the world back into totalitarian darkness. The Russian invaders are brutally killing hundreds of Ukrainians every day. 

We call on His Holiness Pope Francis to visit the sites of mass torture and murder committed by Russian war criminals in Ukraine. There, we ask His Holy Father to pray, together with survivors and victims’ families, for peace: peace for the souls of the dead, and the peace that can only be achieved by stopping the aggressor’s brutal genocide of the Ukrainian people. 

 We hope that the Catholic Church, the spiritual and moral compass for more than a billion people around the world, will make the clear distinction between the losses of those who have come to kill, and the losses of those who have been killed in defense of their families and land against an invading military force. This will provide the world with a clear distinction between good and evil. 

 At this most trying time, we repeat our appeal for His Holiness’ clear and unambiguous support for Ukraine in the fight to defend her freedom and independence. 

 Earlier in the war, the Ukrainian World Congress sent an official letter to the Pope, asking for His Holiness’ support for Ukraine, and the public designation of Russia as an aggressor state.