In Ukraine, Evil Will Not Have the Last Word
This year, the season of Lent begins at a moment when the continent of Europe has been struck by war. This tragic news plunges us into the mystery of evil. Jesus himself had the ultimate experience of this when he freely accepted to give up his life on the cross: he went right through to the end on the way of suffering. On our path towards Easter, we are sustained by this hope: beyond the cross, through the resurrection of Christ, God has opened up a way of life for all humanity.
How is it possible that the fire of weapons and bombs is tearing apart peoples who are so close to each other in so many ways? So many families have relatives on both sides of the border…. During a pilgrimage to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine in 2015, with a small group of young people from various countries, I witnessed this as I visited some Ukrainian soldiers wounded in battle in a hospital in Kyiv. With us was a young woman from Russia. A few days ago, at the outbreak of the war, this young Russian woman recalled this visit and shared the following story: “When I entered that hospital, I was paralysed with fear and shame. At first it was difficult for me to say anything. Then I started to tell that as a child I used to go to my grandfather’s house in Ukraine every summer, that my cousin was born in Ukraine. Then the Ukrainian soldiers started to change: one of them suddenly said that his wife was Russian, then another that his parents lived in Russia…. And it became clear that in fact we were very close, that we were like brothers and sisters.”
Let us pray that these seeds of sharing and communion will not be uprooted by the madness of war, but that in the long run they will prove stronger than senseless violence. It is almost too early to express this wish, when every day that passes sees more and more victims and wounded people. But let us keep, with its roots in the depths of our hearts, the sure hope that evil will not have the last word.
Pope Francis has called for a day of fasting and prayer on Ash Wednesday. In many places around the world, believers are gathering and praying for peace. A few days ago, we received a message from an Orthodox priest in Russia: they are praying for peace in his parish too.
Yes, in order to live this Lenten season in solidarity with those who are suffering from the war that is raging in Ukraine, let us pray for the victims and their families in mourning, for the wounded, for those who have had to flee, for those who would have liked to do so but could not, and also for all those who have chosen to stay where they live. Let us think of the most vulnerable people, who will be the first to suffer the consequences of the armed conflict, of the children who have suffered, of the young people who see no future.
In our prayer, let us not forget to ask the Holy Spirit to inspire the leaders of the peoples and all those who are in a position to influence the course of events, so that the fire of arms may cease as soon as possible. Let us pray that the war will not increase divisions within churches and families, and that church leaders will walk side by side with all those affected by this terrible trial. And since every human life counts in God’s eyes, let us think of the combatants of all the countries involved, and also of their families, for example the grandmothers who see their grandsons going to the front, to a war they neither chose nor wanted. Perhaps, one day, they will take to the streets to protest….
As this Lenten season begins under dark auspices, we are called to live these forty days in communion with those who are affected by violence, not only in Europe but everywhere in the world. On the cross, Christ opened his arms to embrace all humanity. A humanity too often torn apart, yet forever united in God’s heart.