HOPE IN WAR

 

              " Protection of the Mother of God" -  Icon by Katerya Shadrina, Ukraine

The apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, emphasized that, despite the pain and devastation of the on-going war, HOPE remains the only refuge for those suffering from the war.

“Pope Francis has proclaimed the Jubilee Year of Hope, and in such a horrible war, there is nothing left but hope. Military chaplains tell us that soldiers are grateful for any message of hope, because it is the only thing they have left,” the Archbishop said in an interview with ACI Prensa (CNA’s Spanish-language news partner).

 Archbishop   Kulbokas criticized the ineffectiveness of the international community in finding a solution to the conflict. “There are no international structures capable of resolving the war. At the beginning, Europe may have thought that this conflict was not its problem, but when wars are not taken seriously, the conflict grows. If wars are not stopped at the outset, it’s too late later on.”

Yet despite the conflict, the apostolic nuncio maintains hope for a diplomatic solution. “In order for the conditions to be met that would put serious negotiations on the table, it’s necessary that there not be not just one or two global actors to decide. Peace in Ukraine must be a matter for the entire international community,” he indicated.

According to recent U.N. data, more than 12,600 civilians have died in the conflict, including more than 2,400 children and  2 million families have been displaced.