The following reflection was presented by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, on March 18, 2022, reflecting on the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
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Today is 18 March 2022 and Ukraine is experiencing already the twenty-third day of this bloody war. Again this night bombs and rockets fell on the heads of peaceful inhabitants. In Sumy, in the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Mykolaiv, as well as in the west of Ukraine, including in Lviv.
But Ukraine cannot be scared off. Ukraine is fighting. Ukraine is fighting for its right to freedom and independence. Ukraine is standing. We are nevertheless continuing to stand in prayer for our army. For our army which has stopped an enemy great in number, who is not entering further into our country. An enemy who has passed over to so-called total war.
Today we would like to hold in particular prayer our medical workers, doctors, nurses, paramedics. All those who have first-hand contact with the inexpressible human pain in Ukraine. Medical workers are today perhaps the main targets of various attacks and strikes of the enemy against the peaceful population.
According to official information from the Ministry of Health, in Ukraine in the last few weeks 117 hospitals and medical buildings were attacked directly. Seven of them were completely destroyed and cannot be restored. 43 emergency medical service vehicles were shot at. Many doctors and medical workers have died. Today we would like to thank the Lord God for their heroic service to their people.
But our medics, our doctors continue to save human life in Ukraine. Today we would like to particularly give thanks in prayer for them, for the medics who deliver babies in cold hospitals without electricity, in Chernihiv, in Mariupol, in Kharkiv, and in other besieged cities in Ukraine.
We want to particularly thank those who, day and night, try to rescue human life. The Mothers’ and Childrens’ Hospital [OkhMatDyt] in Kyiv has become famous throughout the world, since it was hit by bomber attacks but continues to work heroically.
Today we would like to thank the Lord God for our medics, because we turn to them for help, as if to the first witnesses of human pain.
Today I would like to address the World Health Organization and to various international institutions and organizations, for example Doctors Without Borders: Speak in defense of life in Ukraine! I thank you for the support you are giving to our medics. But speak your word to the whole world, so that the murder of people in Ukraine ceases immediately! We thank them because, along side the humanitarian aid Ukraine is receiving, it is also getting medicine, medical instruments, and everything that today helps to save lives.
Today we ask our Lord, the Healer of our souls and bodies: Bless our medics and doctors, rescue the injured, children, soldiers, elderly. Heal the wounds of Your people. O God, rescue Ukraine!
May the blessing of the Lord be upon you through His grace and love for humankind, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
