Church in the East ‘experiencing a martyrdom’

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kiev-Halych, says that the Church is being persecuted in two eastern Ukrainian cities in which pro-Russian separatists have been very active, writes Ellen Teague.

He reports that: “Today our Church in Donetsk and Luhansk is experiencing a martyrdom, and it needs our prayer and support.”

He was speaking last Sunday during the consecration of the newly constructed Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection, the main cathedral of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Kiev, the Ukrainian capital. The nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Thomas Edward Gullickson, was present.
After the service, Archbishop Shevchuk blessed an icon of Jesus Christ especially for Donetsk. “This icon represents God’s blessing on this long-suffering city, which today is bleeding,” he said, “and may the Lord hear our prayers and pleas for peace and stop the bloodshed.” On 21 August Archbishop Shevchuk also wrote to Catholic bishops’ conferences and religious leaders around the world appealing for “the effective support of the global Christian community”. The Rt Revd Hlib Lonchyna, Holy Family Eparch of London for Ukrainian Catholics in Great Britain, replied to the letter confirming the “dangerous and volatile” situation in eastern Ukraine, and regretting “misinformation” coming from some sources “even including the Russian Orthodox Church”.