Kyiv, Ukraine, Jul 13, 2017 / 06:02 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Shortly after Pope Francis donated money to help those suffering from Ukraine’s ongoing conflict, Cardinal Leonardo Sandri arrived in the country, saying that while pained, he sees hope for the future.
In comments to local Catholic media after landing in Ukraine July 11, Cardinal Sandri recalled that when he made his first trip to the country several years ago, it was because “in this land was born and is growing, a great hope, a great vision of the future for this Christian country.”
“Today, unfortunately, I also bring pain for a country that ought to be the vanguard of peace in the life of Europe, but which instead is suffering, in all of it’s inhabitants, many deprivations and many victims of this situation,” he said, referring to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine’s eastern region.
Because of this, he said, “I also come with a desire for hope for life and a great future of this beloved country.”
Cardinal Sandri, Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches, is currently on an official July 11-17 visit to Ukraine to participate in the national Pilgrimage to the Shrine of Zarvanytsia.
He offered his comments to Zhyve TV, which is the Catholic TV Station of Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, after his arrival.
His visit falls in the midst of ongoing upheaval in the country, largely the result of political instability and tensions surrounding the Russian invasion of their eastern region in 2014, which prompted a conflict that has endured three years, claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of others.
Conflict erupted in Ukraine in November 2013, when the former government refused to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union, leading to months of violent protests.
Tensions deepened in February 2014, when the country’s former president was ousted following the protests, and a new government appointed. In March of that year, Ukraine’s eastern peninsula of Crimea was annexed by Russia and pro-Russian separatist rebels have since taken control of eastern portions of Ukraine, around Donetsk and Luhansk.
Fighting continues, with more casualties reported daily. More than 10,000 people, including civilians, have died in the fighting between Ukraine’s military and pro-Russian separatists. Roughly two million others have been forced to flee due to violence and a lack of basic humanitarian necessities, and those who remain lack access to food, heating and medical supplies.
Last April Pope Francis announced that he would be taking up a special collection in all European churches in order to provide relief from those who are still suffering. In December 2016, the Pope made an initial donation of 6 million euros from the funds collected, asking that it be distributed to different charitable projects.
In his comments to Zhyve TV, Cardinal Sandri said it was “an immense joy” for him to be back in the country after three previous visits, including one with St. John Paul II.
“I come particularly because I was invited to the celebration of the Madonna of Zarvanytsia, so I come to bring to her, the Queen of Ukraine, all the veneration we have for her in the Roman Church, but which we know summarizes the Marian identity of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
The cardinal also offered to Archbishsop Shevchuk and all bishops and faithful in Ukraine, “the greeting, blessing and closeness of the Pope, Francis.”
After his arrival, Sandri traveled to the capital city of Kyiv alongside the Vatican’s nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, and Sviatoslav Shevchuk, Major Archbishop of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine.
While there, he had a moment of silent prayer in front of the Cross of Maiden Square, where he laid flowers in honor of those who lost their lives during the bloody riots of 2014.
From there, he visited the Museum of the Holodomor, making a symbolic gesture in memory of the more than 100 victims.
On Wednesday, July 12, which marks the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul on the Giulian calendar, he will participate in the Pontifical Divine Liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection, offering the homily. After, he is expected to pray at the tomb of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, Marjor Archbishop Emeritus of Kyiv-Halych and former head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, who died May 31.
Later, the cardinal will hold a meeting with seminarians before leaving for the central-eastern city of Kharkiv, where he will visit the local Caritas.
The next day, July 13, Cardinal Sandri will take part in the Divine Liturgy at the cathedral of the Exharkate of Kharkiv before heading to lunch with priests and various other guests.
He is then expected to meet with the Bishop of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Metropolitan Nicodemus. In the afternoon he will travel roughly 124 miles to Kramatorsk, where on Friday morning he will celebrate Mass and meet with the local bishops and priests of Donesk.
After paying a visit to the local Caritas and a community center, Sandri is scheduled to stop in the town of Sloviansk, where he will meet with several individuals who have been internally displaced by the conflict.
On Saturday, July 15, the cardinal will hold a meeting with the Greek-Catholic Metropolitan Bishop Volodymr Viytyshyn before joining the annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Zarvanytsia.
That night, as part of the pilgrimage, Sandri will lead a special meeting with young people before leading a reflection at the close of the procession of candles.
Cardinal Sandri will then preside over Mass Sunday before traveling to Lviv, where he is scheduled to visit the Greek-Catholic Cathedral Saint George and pray at the tombs of Metropolitan Bishop Andrey Sheptytsky and of Cardinal Joseph Slipyj, heads and fathers of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church for a large portion of the 20th century.
He will then hold a brief meeting with the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lviv, Mieczys?aw Mokrzycki, before heading back to Rome.
According to the website of the apostolic nunciature in Ukraine, Pope Francis has, through Cardinal Sandri, offered all Catholic and Orthodox faithful in Ukraine, his personal greeting and blessing.
The Pope also expressed his “affection and closeness to the population for the sufferings and deprivations they have and are enduring during the well known conflict,” and encouraged those working for peace and reconciliation, as well as those engaged in assisting the displaced.
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Time for bishops to respond to Kasper.
They can’t even respond to infanticide…..
Failing to teach the truth of the faith leads souls to hell. Kasper is a modernist, liberal heterdox and needs to just go away.
Now it is “behind the Pope’s back” to teach the basic truths of the faith? I read Mueller’s whole “Manifesto”: it is nothing more than basic Catholicism. If such a document brings condemnation from cardinals, we really are in de facto schism already.
Kasper’s replies shows an intellectual bankruptcy regarding the Catholic Church and the absurdity of a ‘Catholic truth’ that is only a ‘half truth’ because the world may come to believe in one God and a bartered peace is better than none. It has not stopped Muslim bloodshed no matter how many times prelates of Christianity have defined down the triune God or even denied Him for the sake of peace.
A Kasper church does the world no favor in denying the truths of the Catholic Church in believing that will bring a theological and secular piece to the world.
How does Kasper reconcile John 8:32…”and the truth shall set you free”???
“Half the truth is not the Catholic truth!” pontificates Cardinal Kasper who, in his now predictable mindset, seems to imply that the whole Catholic truth is, what, less incarnational than it is big-tent syncretic (“catholic” small c)?
Of other religions, Kasper pronounces, “…are not these similarities [among religions] today fundamental to peace in the world and in society?”
What? Of course, ALL such platitudes are true—but, is it now inadmissible for Cardinal Muller to simply present the real Catholic Faith—except by immediately overlaying and obscuring the Catechism picture with distinctly other religions? Except by decoying the reader away from the question of personal salvation?
Kasper even equates Muller with Luther! Hah! The shoe is on the other foot…With Cardinal Muller and the Second Vatican Council and the entire Apostolic Succession—might the whole Catholic truth be BOTH in harmony with important parts of other religions AND decisively more?
“…The truth is that only in the mystery of the incarnate Word does the mystery of man take on light…Christ the Lord…by the revelation of the mystery of the Father and His love, FULLY REVEALS MAN TO HIMSELF [caps added] and makes his supreme calling clear” (Gaudium et Spes, n. 22).
Allowing for and even fostering prudential actions toward “peace in the world,” yes with those of other religions, might it be that the very-most “fundamental” thing in any human flourishing (as well as in eternal salvation!) is still the whole truth about the human person?
Ironically, “half the truth (really) is not the Catholic truth!”
Kasper, A man who himself is known for rejecting perennial Church doctrine on marriage, communion, the Real Presence, and the Divinity of Christ, and has dedicated his life to undermining these unchangeable truths, has the gall to accuse Cardinal Muller of causing divisions.
We need to pray for the well-being and good health of Cardinals, bishops and their tribe.
Yaawn. Next.
“Better a millstone…”
Kardinal Kasper long admired by the Pontiff who glowingly described during the Synod on the Family that the Cardinal’s proposal D&R be allowed Holy Communion was piously made “on his knees”. Member of the St Galen Group instrumental for his elevation to the papacy that Group [inclusive of Pope Francis in rigging the election] have no issue whatsoever now that Laity are freely receiving Holy Communion even without the journey of hand holding clergy discernment. As evidenced in the Malta Bishops exchange entered in the Acta Apostolicae followed by that Conference’s total submission to the apparent intent of Francis that D&R Laity simply follow their conscience. The whole pietistic agonizing over D&R in Amoris was a ruse. Now there is nothing to be bothered with and smiles. The fear is how much more coincidence is there between the two. They seem less surreptitiously than before to be two Peas in a Pod.
This manifesto is not stating anything new. Cardinal Mueller is simply restating succinctly what the Church has always taught, and what the CCC makes very approachable and understandable for our times…therefore it rings with clarity and truth. Thank God for faithful shepherds. Thank you Cardinal Mueller.
It is those apostates, who profess to be Catholic, while denying that God, The Most Holy And Undivided Blessed Trinity, Is The Author Of Love, Of Life, And Of Marriage, Through The Unity Of The Holy Ghost, thus denying Genesis, that have caused confusion and chaos in Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, Church, making it appear as if we can transform Christ, The Word Of God Made Flesh.
That should read, It is those apostates, who profess to be Catholic, while denying that God, The Most Holy And Undivided Blessed Trinity, Is The Author Of Love, Of Life, And Of Marriage, Through The Unity Of The Holy Ghost, thus denying Genesis, that have caused confusion and chaos in Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, making it appear as if we can transform Christ, The Word Of God Made Flesh.