The Head of the UGCC: Russia treats our prisoners of war like animals and forbids them to pray

28 January, 12:17
Catholics
The Head of the UGCC: Russia treats our prisoners of war like animals and forbids them to pray - фото 1
The Head of the UGCC stated that the events unfolding on the front line are horrifying. Russia is determined to achieve its political aims by military means at any cost and is sacrificing thousands of soldiers daily.

This was stated by the Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav, in a traditional video message on the 154th week of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine.

“However, we were most appalled last week,” said the Head of the UGCC, “by the footage of the brutal execution of six of our prisoners of war and the fact that the Russian who executed them wore a sticker with an icon of the unmade Savior on his chest. It is a truly ghastly scene… Christian conscience cannot tolerate this.”

“A sacrilegious war cannot be justified. Defenseless victims must not be slaughtered in the name of God. Pope Francis has unequivocally defined the current situation. This is no longer a war, as it does not respect military customs and rules and international humanitarian law—it is thuggery,” His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized.

According to him, during a meeting with wives and mothers of those who went missing or were taken captive by Russia from our territorial self-defense units, he was most struck by the story that our captives are not even allowed to pray.

“Russia treats them like animals, saying that animals do not pray. Prisoners of war are denied all religious attributes, including a cross and the Holy Scriptures,” said His Beatitude Sviatoslav.