Patriarch Sviatoslav: We pray for all who suffer including Tymoshenko

When asked by a correspondent of Reviewer if he prays for Yulia Tymoshenko, Patriarch Sviatoslav of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church responded that the church prays for all people who suffer, are in prisons and captivity, including Yulia Tymoshenko as she is the most famous prisoner not only in Ukraine but also in Europe.

Patriarch Sviatoslav stressed that Yulia Tymoshenko is today the most famous person of all the prisoners but that there are unknown, common people in prisons as well. Therefore, the church should defend the rights of all those persecuted, both known and forgotten ones, in its own manner.

“If we do not talk about all those suffering, we are not fully honest and just. Yulia Volodymyrivna [editor: Tymoshenko] is the most famous of all the prisoners of Ukraine but how many forgotten ones are there? Therefore, the church should, in my opinion, be the voice of those who are silent and marginalized. Whereas Yulia Volodymyrivna and her political force make themselves heard quite loudly,” he said.

According to the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the case of Tymoshenko is only the tip of the iceberg. There are many institutions in Ukraine, including the judiciary, which need fundamental reforms. According to the hierarch, this also applies to Chornobyl disaster liquidators’ rights. However, the one “who is going to reform certain fields should have the trust of the society,” stated the patriarch.

“Avicenna once said that there is the doctor, the sick person and the sickness, and it is the doctor’s task to win the trust of the sick person and win him over. The same applies to the society. If the society does not trust its leaders, it will not overcome its diseases,” added the patriarch.