‘Our strength is the Eucharist’: In Quito, Ukrainian bishop tells how his people endure war

Quito, Ecuador, Sep 11, 2024 / 09:50 am (CNA).

The secret of the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people in the midst of the ongoing war with Russia comes “from union with God” and from the Eucharist, affirmed the auxiliary bishop of Sambir in Ukraine, Hryhoriy Komar, during a Sept. 9 address to the International Eucharistic Congress in Quito, Ecuador.

“We have parishes where they have not stopped praying in the church for almost three years. People have their turn to pray day and night. Our strength is the Eucharist. The Eucharist is an invitation to communicate and forge communion with others. That is, to be with the people in the most difficult moments and to give one’s life for the people,” the prelate said in his remarks about the war that began on Feb. 24, 2022, with the Russian invasion.

At the Congress, the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic prelate said “the Eucharist is an invitation to participate in the suffering and resurrection of Christ… It is an encounter with the risen Christ, conqueror of death, with the One who gives life. Only he can heal shattered families, broken lives, and change death into life.”

At the beginning of his talk, Komar thanked the organizers of the Quito 2024 International Eucharistic Congress for the opportunity to “bear witness to the pain and tragedy.”

“The life of our people is divided into two parts: before and after that date [Feb. 24, 2022]. And now we know very well that our life will never be the same as before.”

According to data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 10 million Ukrainians have fled their homes since the invasion began. Of the total, more than 6.4 million are refugees abroad.

Komar spoke of the magnitude of the suffering his people are experiencing. “It is difficult to find words to describe all the horrors of the war in Ukraine. For many people in the world, war is something abstract, but for us it is a terrible reality that we live every day, experiencing the danger of losing our own lives or the lives of our relatives,” he said.

The prelate also underlined the mission of the Church to proclaim the truth and rejected any kind of malicious or manipulated narrative regarding the origin of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

“Some tell us that Ukraine provoked Russia to start this war. That is like saying something similar to a woman who has been raped. It’s unfair to describe the genocide that Russia is carrying out in Ukraine with the word crisis. It’s a lie. It’s false witness,” he emphasized.

‘Our priests are heroes’

Faced with this reality, the Church has had to reinvent itself to offer spiritual and material support in the midst of chaos. “Our churches are not only a place of prayer but also a place where one can find advice or take shelter during bombings,” Komar said.

He also recognized the heroic work of priests in his country: “I admire the fervor and sacrifice of our priests. They are heroes because with their prayers and daily deeds they support their people.”

Despite the immense suffering, the Ukrainian bishop said he maintains a firm hope in the prayer of Catholics around the world. “To overcome evil, we need a prayer for the conversion of all of us. In Ukraine, in Europe, in Ecuador, in the world,” he said.

He also called on the international community not to forget the pain of his people: “The war in Ukraine is not only Ukraine’s problem.”

Komar concluded his talk by asking the world to pray for Ukraine and to continue searching for the truth.

“May the world be stronger” thanks to solidarity with his country, he said, imploring: “Lord, king of peace and the universe, protect our people and Ukraine.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.