Call to help Ukraine because ‘people are still suffering’

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This article was published 21/11/2022 (1395 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada’s Ukrainian Catholic bishops are calling on Catholics and others in the country to pray, fast and donate to help people in Ukraine from Nov. 24-26.

“The war in Ukraine rages on with no end in site, claiming the lives of thousands of innocent children, men and women, with millions more on the move as refuges in search of safety, food, shelter, clothing and medicine,” said a letter from the bishops, including Lawrence Huculak, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Winnipeg.

“As winter approaches, hundreds of thousands of people will have no heat in their homes, with energy being used as a weapon of punishment.”

The letter compares the current situation to the Holodomor, or genocide, of 1932-33. That’s when leaders of the then Soviet Union “deliberately and methodically” starved millions of people in Ukraine.

“Today’s war in Ukraine by foreign aggressors has as its intent to erase the identity and history of the Ukrainian people — a genocide in the making,” the letter said.

In an interview, Huculak said the call for prayer, fasting and donations was made because the bishops are concerned people might be forgetting about the war the longer it drags on.

“But people are still suffering there,” he said. “They need our prayer and support.”

Noting the last day of the call to prayer and fasting is also the day Ukrainians in Canada mark the Holodomor, he emphasized the connection between that historical event and what is happening today.

“During the Holodomor, the Soviet Union tried to get rid of the Ukrainian people,” he said. “Today, Putin is denying their identity as Ukrainians and harming and killing people in that country. It looks so much like another genocide.”

By joining in the call, Canadians can “show solidarity” with people in Ukraine, he said, adding anyone can participate — non-Catholics, people of other faiths or people who are not part of any faith group.

“We are calling on all good people of good will to join us,” Huculak said.

Those who join in are asked to pray for an end to the war and for those who are suffering because of it, Huculak said, adding people can “do whatever form of prayer they are accustomed to.”

He acknowledged fasting can be difficult, suggesting people fast in whatever way works for them.

“For some, that may mean just bread and water, for others no sweets, or for others only one meal each day. However people fast, they can unite their thoughts and prayers for peace for the people of Ukraine,” he said.

Canadians are also encouraged to donate to help people in Ukraine.

“Sending money is the best, not things like clothes or bedding,” he said, noting it is less expensive to buy those things in Europe than to pay to ship them to Ukraine from Canada.

“We hope many people will take time to remember people in Ukraine,” Huculak said. “Together we can make a difference in the millions of lives of the children, men and women who are counting on us.”

People who want to donate can send a cheque to the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Winnipeg, 233 Scotia St., R2V 1V7, marking the donation for Ukraine. Donations can also be made online through the Roman Catholic Development and Peace — Caritas Canada.

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