A Catholic bishop in the Ukraine, February 19, visited a hospital to give the sacrament of the sick to protesters who had their eyes shot out by rubber bullets, reports the National Review Online.
The bishop’s pastoral visit came after at statement by Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the major archbishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, stressing that those holding power bear full responsibility for what is happening in our country.
“In the name of God, we condemn violence, ruthlessness and the ignoring of human rights and the will of the nation,” he said.
“I state with great sorrow that calls by the churches to stop the shedding of blood and seek a peaceful settlement of this conflict have not been heard,” said Archbishop Shevchuk, as he asked Catholic churches to ring their bells in rejection of “fratricidal evil.”
While the archbishop is allowing churches near the protests to be used as makeshift hospitals, one Kiev priest, who identified himself as Father Matthew, told Catholic News Service that armed Ukrainian riot police had burned a chapel, set up in the square in December by Ukrainian Catholic clergy, and had attempted to beat open the doors of the Latin Catholic cathedral to arrest injured demonstrators.
Father Matthew said one man had been shot dead by police February 18 outside the cathedral, adding that many Ukrainians believed Russian special forces had been deployed in Kiev to help quell the unrest.
He said his own car had been searched by troops with Kalashnikov rifles as he arrived for Mass, to ensure he was not “bringing food or medicines for protesters.”
“Since the attack on the square began, our own cathedral has been full of bleeding people, mostly hit by rubber bullets but probably by live rounds as well”, Father Matthew said.
Pope Francis calls for peace
Pope Francis is calling for an end to the violence.
“I call on all sides to stop every violent action and seek agreement and peace,” the Holy Father said at the end of his weekly general audience.
Saying the violence is troubling him, Pope Francis assured the Ukrainian people of his closeness and prayers.
Sources
- CNS
- Image: America Aljazeera