From the Head of the UGCC on Day 47: Russians have no future because they disrespect our elderly people

Tuesday, 12 April 2022, 10:53

“Today, let us remember the elders who are most vulnerable in this brutal war. I was very moved by the story from Lukashivka in Chernihiv region, which described how the occupiers treated the elderly…,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav, the Father and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, said in his daily address on the 47th day of Russia's war against Ukraine.

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The Head of the Church suggested that we reflect upon God’s Fourth Commandment, -- which says: “Honor your father and your mother, that it may be good for you, and so that your days may be long in the land,” -- in the context of the cruelty and concurrent heroism and greatness of the Ukrainian people.

Fathers and mothers, emphasized the spiritual leader, are a source of life for each person and serve as an image of our God, Giver of Life and Savior, who cares for His children, creates a space of life and security, and desires goodness and happiness for them. That is why it is so important for one’s own longevity, to know how to respect one’s parents.

“It is very moving to see how Ukrainians truly know how to honor their elders, how even during evacuations, they carefully carry bedridden elderly people, fathers or mothers on their sickbeds,” he said.

The Head of the Church stated that our priests and volunteers visit elderly people in the cities and villages of Ukraine who have been left alone, and this is one of the opportunities to see God's power in their eyes.

“Each such visit is very enriching. The elderly say: ‘You came to us, -- that means that the Lord has not forgotten us.’ And for us, the younger generation, older people are life teachers. They pass on to us the true values of life, which can be a firm foundation for building our own way of life,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

The Head of the UGCC told the story of a survivor, 70-year-old Mykola from Lukashivka in the Chernihiv region. The man said that when the Russians came to the village, they drove about 140 people into the basement of the school, which was 60 square meters. They were not allowed to go outside and the dead were kept together with the living. There were 50 children among those driven into the basement. In order to sleep, Mykola tied a scarf to one of the gym’s wall ladders, and fell asleep in a suspended position.

“The type of behavior that our enemy is exhibiting, has no future. Those who do not respect their fathers and mothers, who do not respect old age, cannot have God's blessing and live long on this earth,” emphasized His Beatitude Sviatoslav.

The UGCC Department of Information