ROME — Ukrainian Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk urged his compatriots who have been forced from their homeland to be “worthy ambassadors” of Ukraine.
While continuing to decry Russia’s relentless onslaught, Archbishop Shevchuk addressed Ukrainian refugees in a video message Sunday, reminding them that they are the face and the voice of Ukraine in the world.
“I ask you to be worthy ambassadors of your homeland, because when the world meets you, it wants to see, hear, and meet Ukraine in your face,” the archbishop said. “Please preserve your culture, language, church, and religious identity.”
In a series of specific instructions, Shevchuk — the head of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church — encouraged refugees “scattered throughout the countries of Central and Western Europe, as well as in other parts of the world” to join Ukrainian communities in the countries where they find themselves and to keep their Christian culture alive.
“Take care of the Christian and national upbringing of your children,” he said. “Please do not abuse the hospitality of those peoples who receive you. Don’t just be consumers of their help, but actively participate in the work.”
“In order to increase the common good of the country that has become your new home today, integrate into the life of that country,” he urged. “But with all your strength resist assimilation, the disappearance of your personal, cultural, and national identity.”
“Be the voice of Ukraine to the world,” he said.
In his message, Shevchuk also reminded his hearers that the Ukrainian people have been fighting an “unequal struggle against the Russian aggressor” for 165 days.
“We, as a people, defend our God-given homeland, which we are called to love,” he said. “Our Motherland, where the Lord God gave us the gift of being born and growing up. That homeland, which is our priceless gift from God.”
The archbishop condemned Russian carpet bombing of the city of Mykolayiv, as well as the shelling of the city of Kharkiv, the region of Dnipropetrovsk, and the city of Nikopol.
“O God, bless Ukraine. Bless our Ukrainian people,” he prayed. “Give us the strength to defeat evil in Your name. Bless our Ukrainian army. And grant that Your long-awaited, just, peace of God come to the Ukrainian land.”