The spiritual leader of the Ukrainian Catholic eparchy, which includes Ohio, has asked the state’s Catholics to pray for the people of Ukraine and to urge stronger sanctions against Russia, which has staged a military invasion of the eastern European nation.
“Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which are the foundation of each life, today are being taken from the people of Ukraine,” said Eparch Bohdan Danylo of the St. Josaphat Eparchy, based in the Cleveland suburb of Parma. His position is equivalent to that of the bishop of a Roman Catholic diocese.
“We are continuing to pray for peace in Ukraine and for an end to a Russian aggression which has no justification. I ask the people of the Diocese of Columbus and the other dioceses of Ohio to join us.
“With no provocation, (Russian President Vladimir) Putin has recognized two Ukrainian provinces as part of Russia and has sent thousands of troops to enforce that claim. This is as absurd as having Canada deciding on its own to recognize Ohio and Indiana as part of that nation and sending in troops to support the idea,” Eparch Danylo said.
“This is all the decision of one man, and it has happened before. In 2008, Russia decided to annex (the nation of) Georgia. In 2014, it was Crimea. Who knows what Putin has his eye on next?
“I urge President Biden and all other world leaders to put more pressure on Russia by applying more sanctions and ask for everyone’s continuing prayers.”
The eparch said a priest from his eparchy is helping to coordinate the evacuation of children from an orphanage in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv who are trying to reach Latvia. He also said that as of Friday afternoon about 9,000 refugees had gathered on the Ukraine-Poland border attempting to gain admission to Poland, with the wait time being about 14 hours.
The St. Josaphat Eparchy serves about 11,000 Ukrainian Catholics in 12 states and has 10 parishes in northern Ohio, mostly in the Cleveland-Akron-Youngstown region. It has no parishes in the Diocese of Columbus.
More than 42,000 Ukrainians call Ohio home. The largest number – more than 4,100 – live in Parma, with a significant concentration in an area of the city known as Ukrainian Village. Eparch Danylo led a community gathering on Thursday night at the Pokrova Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Parma to pray for peace and freedom for the people of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Catholic Church is one of 23 Eastern Rite Catholic churches in communion with Pope Francis and the Roman Catholic Church. It is led by His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, based in Kyiv.
In a statement issued shortly after the invasion began Wednesday, the Ukrainian church leader said, “We consider the defense of our native land, our historical memory and our hope, our God-given right to exist to be the personal responsibility and sacred duty of the citizens of Ukraine.
“The defense of our fatherland is our natural right and civic duty. We are strong when we are together. Now has come the time to unite our efforts in order to defend the independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Ukrainian state. The duty and responsibility of all of humanity – to actively work to avert war and protect a just peace.”