The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine concelebrated the Christmas Eve Mass with Cardinal Krajewski in the Latin Cathedral of Kharkiv in the east of the country, then he participated in the Divine Liturgy of Christmas Day in the Greek-Catholic Cathedral of the city, despite intense Russian bombing.
Vatican News
«The light of Christmas is a light so intense and great that it rises above all difficulties, all aggressions and all bombardments“. The words are from the Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Visvaldas Kulbokas, the day after the Christmas Eve Mass in the Latin Cathedral of Kharkiv, which he concelebrated alongside Pope Francis' chaplain, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski.
For the second time, and despite the intense bombardment of the city by the Russian army, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine celebrated Christmas together on December 25. The celebration was attended by the Latin and Greek-Catholic Bishops of Kharkiv, Mgr. Pavlo Honcharuk and Mgr. Vasyl' Tučapec', as well as the Greek-Catholic Bishop Emeritus of Klhakiv, Ihor Issitchenko. Also in the church pews were Archbishop Mitrofan of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, as well as several representatives of Protestant communities, the mayor of Kharkiv and other city representatives.
“Jesus, born for us, was present, and when Jesus is born in a place that is constantly attacked, bombarded, this light is seen much more, it shines» declared the nuncio. A light that shines in the midst of darkness, as we read in the readings from the prophet Isaiah, he continued, “These are words that resonate in a very special way in these places of war, because it is precisely the light of joy and hope that Christmas brings us that prepares us for the Jubilee of the Holy Year because we knew that in Rome, the Holy Father, at that precise moment, opened the Holy Door.”
A diabolical war
Christmas night was a night of war like any other, with missiles and drones exploding near the Greek-Catholic cathedral, which – the nuncio underlined – “thanks to God, was accessible for the Divine Liturgy on Christmas Day, the windows and everything else were in place”.
“The first prayer that came to my mind, reports the apostolic nunciowas an exorcism, because a war like this is very close to the work of the devil, because it opposes Jesus, the Christmas of Jesus that we celebrate. There is a total contrast between Jesus on the one hand, with his light, and the intention of the one who wants to kill.
The nuncio was surprised during the Divine Liturgy in the Greek-Catholic cathedral to see many children, “In times of war, parents understand that it is necessary for their children to listen to catechism as much as possible and to participate in liturgies in churches, because this is salvation. Christmas Day concluded with a “agape» with the children and a visit to the Carmelite monastery, in the suburbs of Kharkiv.
