A CALL TO PRAYER AND FOR LIVING VOICES FOR JUSTICE

A CALL TO PRAYER AND FOR LIVING VOICES FOR JUSTICE

A Pastoral Message from the Ukrainian Catholic and the Ukrainian Orthodox Hierarchs of United States of America and Canada

Ukrainians throughout the world will commemorate the 77th anniversary of the genocidal famine, the “HOLODOMOR”, which was perpetuated by Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime against the people of Ukraine in 1932-33.  We will pray together for the souls of the over seven million victims of this man-made famine.  We will raise our collective voice against such oppressive measures and suffering being used in the name of any ideology.

It is important that we remember the more than 7 million victims comprised of innocent men, women and children of a proud nation who simply attempted to defend itself from the forced collectivization policy of Soviet Russia.  Borders were closed.  Food and crops were confiscated.  People who were defiant were shot.  Their souls cry out to be remembered. Let us gather in our holy churches to pray for their souls.  We unite ourselves with them in our collective holy prayer.

St. Paul reminds us that “you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone”. (Ephesians 2:14-22)  We, your hierarchs, remind you to fulfill your obligation as a member of the household of God by remembering the victims of the famine in collective prayer.

We are also called to be a living voice for justice for the millions of victims of the “Holodomor”.  We are called to continually bring to mind, to ourselves and to the world around us, that this famine occurred as a result of the policies of a repressive and evil regime.  Much of the world deluded itself of it happening at the time.  Voices for justice and democracy were silenced, largely by the media who perpetuated the oppressive regime’s denial of the existence of the man-made famine. Our living voice is needed to ensure that such acts of genocide are remembered and prevented from re-occurring.  Efforts to erase or minimize the horrific impact of this man-made famine continue to this day.

Our strong and assertive collective voice is needed to ensure that the sacrifice of the over 7 million victims is not forgotten and not repeated.  Your hierarchs urge you to choose to be a part of the living conscience of those who have suffered. Their memory and sacrifice cannot be forgotten or minimized.  The victims of the genocide in Ukraine need to be remembered and given justice and dignity by our speaking up in remembrance of them, and for other such victims of genocide throughout the world.

We, the hierarchs of the Ukrainian Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in the United States of America and Canada pray that this united pastoral message to our faithful will serve as a source of inspiration for Ukrainians to unite in prayerful observance and as a collective voice in remembering the more than seven million victims of the “Holodomor” genocide of 1932-33 in Ukraine.

May the memory of the victims of the “Holodomor” genocide be eternal.

Given  November, 2010.