Rome & the World: views of Ukrainian faithful of Moscow Patriarchate • Hong Kong’s new bishop • & more …

Constantin Sigov, a Ukrainian scholar who teaches theology and philosophy and directs the European Center at the University of Kiev, speaks to French magazine, La Vie, about the social and moral concerns surrounding the situation in Ukraine. “Sometimes we feel like we are living in a nightmare from which we will wake up,” he says as he denounces the “degradation” of communication coming from Russia and its officials in the last weeks. Professor Sigov explains how Ukraine “defends the values of democracy and freedom which are those of Europe,” which is why this conflict is an “issue of human dignity” ultimately. He says that if Europe manages to stay united in this crisis “its self-esteem will grow,” and that this isn’t a “Ukrainian crisis" or a  “civil war, but a Russian crisis, with an aggression.” 

La Vie, French 

Shortly before the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, a study highlighted the fact that the Ukrainian faithful belonging to the Moscow Patriarchate do not approve of the Russian attitude. Less than a third of the faithful in Ukraine approve of Moscow's accusations against Ukraine. In the same vein, the patriarch of Moscow is seen more as a political leader than a spiritual leader in Ukraine, and his esteem has dropped dramatically from nearly 50% a decade ago to less than 20%.

Asia News, English 

According to George Weigel, the invasion of Ukraine was never imminent, but was initiated in 2014, when Russian armed forces landed in Crimea. A fact that has been obscured by a massive campaign of Russian propaganda and disinformation. For him, this is a Russian crisis, not a Ukrainian crisis, which was created from scratch by "the autocrat Vladimir Putin." It was aimed at destabilizing and subjugating Ukraine, in order to reverse the verdict of history and to strengthen perfect tyrannies over "imperfect democracies." Weigel also explains that the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in supporting Putin's falsifications of history and his new imperial designs is real and has caused serious damage to the cause of Christ in a country recovering from the ravages of state-sponsored atheism. Finally, Putin and his aggression target all Ukrainians, even children, as evidenced by the thousands of false bomb threats since the beginning of the year, emptying many schools. A bitter observation when one sees the strength that the country's Church has put into the reconstruction of civil society. 

First Things, English

In an interview with UCANews, new Bishop of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow Sau-yan, elected last December, talks about his role in a troubled region. “I’m not a diplomat; a bishop is not a diplomat. We need to be diplomatic at times. But our primary concern is to discern God’s will and to carry it out,” the Bishop said. “We have to work with the government and find whatever space we can. But, in humility and a spirit of dialogue,” Bishop Chow explained. He recognized that the national security law, passed by China in 2020, marked a new era in the political history of Hong Kong but said that, as an educator, he still hopes “that our students can think for themselves and have multiple perspectives and appreciate differences.” “Don’t limit yourself to listening to like-minded people, otherwise you will share the same blind spots,” Bishop Chow said. 

UCANews, English

Italian theologian Andrea Grillo is concerned about the decree by Pope Francis allowing the Fraternity of St. Peter to celebrate according to the Tridentine liturgical form. This derogation from the Motu proprio Traditions custodes, he believes, could lead to "a parallel Church." Exceptions are possible, says Grillo, but "only if they are limited and defined in time. On the other hand, "if an entire fraternity can do differently from all the other brothers, and can do so without limits that are neither personal nor spatial, what kind of communion is preserved here?" For the theologian, this is a problem "not only of discipline, but of doctrine." Their freedom applicable "in uncontrollable places" must be prohibited, if we do not want Traditionis custodes to be "words in the wind."

Munera, Italian