Ukrainian Church leaders have sent Christmas Greetings to ACN, thanking the charity for its material and spiritual support over these three years of war. In their messages they highlight the country’s current challenges, such as an increase in stress levels, and a shortage of resources in several regions.
“Thank you for all you do. Thank you!” says the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, in his Christmas message to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). As the war in Ukraine continues, the local Church is facing increasingly difficult challenges.
Several Church leaders have expressed their gratitude to ACN, describing its support as crucial both in terms of humanitarian assistance and for the strengthening of faith. Nonetheless, they also say that new realities keep arising, such as the increase in psychological suffering caused by the drawn-out war, and a shortage of essential resources in many regions, which is jeopardizing the survival of the affected communities.
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, expressed the gratitude of the entire Church and all the people of Ukraine during this Advent season, saying that ACN’s cooperation has been of the utmost importance. “Thank you for helping us to save human lives in Ukraine.”
Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, who is responsible for Latin Catholics in Ukraine, also thanked ACN’s benefactors for their humanitarian help during the war, and asks that they “continue to pray, and help our priests and religious, who work with the people in this difficult period”, adding: “we also ask that they pray for this war to end as soon as possible.”
The Auxiliary Bishop of Lviv, Eduard Kava, singled out ACN’s support for youth formation in his Christmas message. “Thanks to your support we can do many good things, especially with the youth,” he said. “Just now, in our pastoral centre near Lviv, we are holding a celebration for young people, where they pray together and train to serve in the Church. In this period of Advent I wish you a Merry Christmas, with all of God’s blessings. May the Lord bless you and keep you.”
Persistent needs
All the representatives of the Catholic Church in the country agree that aid continues to be very necessary. “In areas like Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Odessa people lack even the most essential: bread, water, heating and electricity,” says Archbishop Kulbokas. “In other regions, the most important is help with welcoming refugees. And, of course, I would say the psychological assistance for everybody, not only the military and families, including priests, religious, volunteers… Because three years of war have produced a lot of difficulties at the psychological level.”
The Nuncio stresses that even though material help remains very important, there is also an essential need for spiritual assistance during Advent and the coming Christmas season. “I would insist once again on the spiritual role of the Church: on the proclamation of the Gospel, not only our spiritual programmes, but as well on our spiritual energy in bringing the Gospel, in bringing the joy of Christ to everybody, to ourselves but also the military who are defending Ukraine.”