Clergymen and Artists Call for Reconciliation between Ukrainians and Poles

Representatives of Ukrainian churches and artists set up a public committee Reconciliation Between Nations, which on the eve of tthe 70th anniversary of the Volyn tragedy calls on Ukrainians and Poles to forgive and give up revenge and accusations with regard to these pages of history.

According to UNIAN, this was stated at a press conference in Kyiv on April 3 by former president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk, Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kyivan Patriarchate, and Supreme Archbishop Emeritus of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar.

“Representatives of the traditional churches, well-known public figures and artists united in the public Committee Reconciliation Between Nations in order to jointly promote understanding between Ukrainians and other nations regarding questions of interpretation of complicated pages of our common history,” stated the participants.

Patriarch Filaret stressed that the church will call believers, primarily those who still have “unpleasant feelings,” to forgive and that memorial and prayer services for the victims will be served.

He expressed hope that a similar committee will be set up in Poland and there will be a possibility to hold a joint meeting and work out decisions to help relieve the tension in the two societies regarding the conflict during WWII.

In his turn, Cardinal Lubomyr noted that the church will pray also for the contemporaries. “For people to be prepared to understand the need of forgiveness. We invite Ukrainians and Poles to forgive and ask for forgiveness and to be willing to do their best to prevent such tragedies in future so that the two nations can meditate and live in peace and readiness to forgive.”

The committee also includes Metropolitan Symeon of Vinnytsia and Bar of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate and other public figures.