The Ukrainian Embassy at the Holy See, the head of the UGCC , and the Apostolic Nuncio conveyed to the Vatican the stormy reaction of Ukrainians to the Way of the Cross in the Colosseum .
As you know, on April 15 (on Good Friday for Christians of the Western rite) in the Vatican planned to hold the Way of the Cross with Pope Francis , during which a Ukrainian and a russian woman were to carry the cross together during the XIII station.
This event provoked a violent negative reaction in Ukraine.
The head of the UGCC, Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), stated that he considered such an idea "untimely, ambiguous and such that it did not take into account the context of russia's military aggression against Ukraine."
"For the Greek Catholics of Ukraine, the texts and gestures of the 13th station of this Way of the Cross are incomprehensible, even offensive, especially in the context of the expected second, even bloodier russian offensive on our cities and villages. I know that our Roman Catholic brothers share these views and experiences", - the Primate of the UGCC emphasized.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav said that he had conveyed to the Vatican "the many negative reactions of many bishops, priests, monks and nuns and laity who are convinced that gestures of reconciliation between our peoples will be possible only when the war is over and those guilty of crimes against humanity are justly condemned."
The head of the UGCC also asked the Holy See to review the project of the Way of the Cross.
According to the representative of Pope Francis in Ukraine, the Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, in a comment to CREDO magazine , he himself would not organize the prayer in this way, because reconciliation must come later.
"Yesterday I conveyed the reaction from Ukraine ... Reconciliation must come when aggression is stopped. And when Ukrainians cannot only save their lives, but also freedom. And, of course, we know that reconciliation occurs when the aggressor admits his guilt and apologizes," added a spokesman for Pope Francis.
The Apostolic Nuncio stressed that the Vatican already knows about the reaction from Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian Ambassador to the Vatican Andriy Yurash , "the Ukrainian Embassy at the Holy See understands and shares the general concerns of the Ukrainian and many other communities about the idea ... We are currently working on the issue, trying to explain its impossibility and expected consequences."