At 5.45pm on February 24, President Vladimir Putin announced to Russians and the world via state TV that he had decided to launch what he termed “a special military operation” against Ukraine. A month later, the world continues to watch in anxiety as civilians are slaughtered and the fastest-growing refugee crisis Europe has seen since World War II continues to worsen.
Millions of Ukrainians have been fleeing Russian aggression to neighbouring countries. Poland shares a 534 kilometre border with Ukraine, and the country is at the very centre of the refugee crisis. Many Polish Catholics have been opening their parishes, homes, and hearts to the refugees since the month-long Russian invasion began. For many Christians, this is a test of faith and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live out the beatitudes uniquely.
Pope Francis has called the war in Ukraine an act of violent aggression and a sacrilege without justification, appealing for an end to the violence and for the long-term welcome of Ukrainian refugees. The Church’s stand on the crisis has always been to care for humanity’s suffering. The pope has vowed that the Church will “do everything, to put itself at the service of this peace,” and to end the war.
By assigning two cardinals to the war-torn nation, when all those who were able to flee the county could do so, the pope has a clear message for the Catholics worldwide. “The presence of the two cardinals there is the presence of the pope and all the Christian people who want to get closer and say: ‘War is madness! Stop, please, this cruelty!’” No further directives were necessary for hundreds of priests and religious working in the war zone.
The Church is the Mother, and she will not abandon her children in their pain and suffering. Her mission is to accompany the suffering people there. The pope is leading the Church through a Lenten journey. He began this journey on Ash Wednesday by calling on the faithful to pray and fast for peace in Ukraine, Russia, and the world. Almsgiving is another special Lenten observance and this year, the acts of charity become meaningful when they bring consolation and comfort to the millions of refugees.
Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, has urged the faithful not to forget the sufferings of the people of war-torn Ukraine even as we are preoccupied with our struggles against the pandemic. “We feel deeply saddened by the civilians’ loss of lives and homes. The military manoeuvres and the manipulation of political powers are shattering the Ukrainians’ hope for peace and stability in their homeland,” the bishop said. Catholic faithful in Hong Kong and Macau have joined hands in expressing their solidarity with the war refugees. With their generous contributions made through the Claretian Missionaries, they have provided over half a million dollars of humanitarian aid to refugees in Poland.
What better way could the pope find to celebrate the liturgical feast of Annunciation than consecrating the aggressor and the aggrieved nations to the Immaculate Heart of Mary? “I invite every community and every one of the faithful to join me next Friday, on March 25, the solemnity of the Annunciation, in making this solemn act of consecration of humanity, and especially of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that she, the Queen of Peace, may obtain peace for the world,” the pope said. jose, CMF
