Ecumenical Patriarch to Ukrainian pilgrims: “Truth and justice always win in the end”
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his love and support for the severely tested Ukrainian people, who welcomed, on Christmas Eve, group of about 150 Ukrainian pilgrims, from all over the country, including many women whose children, brothers or husbands are either on the front lines, defending the territorial integrity of their homeland and the freedom of the Ukrainian people, or have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Welcoming the pilgrims, who wore traditional costumes and held flags of their parishes, but also flags of their homeland signed by their military relatives, reminded the spiritual ties of the Ukrainian people with their Mother Church of Constantinople, from which they received baptism in the Christian faith and Byzantine culture, in the 10th century, and pointed out that despite the political upheavals and any changes that have taken place since then, “these ties that bind us are strong, and will remain strong in perpetuity, forever”.
The Patriarch referred to his last year’s visit to Kyiv, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, noting that no one could have imagined then the tragedy that would follow a few months later, last February.
“You thanked me because I condemned and I condemn this unholy war, which I characterised as diabolical. How could the Mother Church not condemn this war, when she sees her children being unjustly killed?” His All-Holiness asked. “Victory will be with you, because truth and justice always win in the end,” he stressed at another point in his speech, and expressed his thanks to all the peoples and international organisations that are helping Ukraine to face this injustice war.
“I said and I repeat that this Russian invasion of Ukraine is unjust, it is a crime, it is a sin. It is not an orthodox praxis, it is not a Christian praxis”, the Patriarch emphasised.
He made special reference to the warm congratulatory letter sent to him by President Mr. Zelensky, whom he described as a brave fighter, while he sent a fraternal greeting to His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kiev and all Ukraine, for the fighting spirit which distinguishes him and for all the sacrifices he makes for his flock.
On the occasion of the Christmas Message, he sent especially to the people of Ukraine, the Patriarch said that in it he expresses the hope and wish, for God to bless him to visit their beautiful, hospitable, but long-suffering country again, and wished “the new year that rises in a few days will bring the much-desired peace and unite the divided families”.
At the end the pilgrims sang traditional Ukrainian carols and songs.
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