Every day, Aleteia offers a selection of articles written by the international press about the Church and the major issues that concern Catholics around the world. The opinions and views expressed in these articles are not those of the editors.
1Kyiv shrines, memorials with great cultural value at risk
As Kyiv braces itself for a potential attack from the Russian forces, several important religious sites could be at risk. The Associated Press characterizes the Ukrainian capital as the “spiritual heart” of the country, home to Orthodox shrines dating back nearly 1,000 years, to the dawn of Christianity in the region. Among these are St. Sophia’s Cathedral, the Monastery of the Caves, St. Michael’s Monastery and St. Andrew’s Church. These landmarks are important both to the Ukrainian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox Churches. There is no confirmation at the moment that Russia is targeting religious sites. However, a Cathedral in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, was damaged in recent attacks. “The idea that the main symbol that stood in your city for 1,000 years could be at risk or could be destroyed is very frightening,” said a research scholar interviewed for the article.
AP, English
2Patriarch of Alexandria: “Putin thinks he’s the emperor of our times”
The Patriarch of Alexandria, Theodore II, expressed his firm opposition to the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Interviewed by the Greek public radio ERT, he strongly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he had met several times. "I know he has piety for the Church, for Orthodoxy. But all of this has disappeared," the patriarch lamented. "You can not say that you love God and kill people," he said, moved by the situation in Ukraine, where he lived for several years. “Putin thinks he’s the emperor of our times,” he denounced, explaining that “when you are very strong you get drunk on power, it makes you forget that you are human.” His statements are also relevant in the context of the current splits in the Orthodox world. The Patriarchate of Alexandria is currently in crisis with the Patriarchate of Moscow because of jurisdictional disputes over Orthodox parishes on the African continent.
The Orthodox Times, English
3Archbishop Gądecki asks Patriarch Kirill to appeal to Putin
Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, President of the Polish Episcopal Conference, has asked the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill to appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the war on Ukraine in a letter dated March 2. “War is always a defeat for humanity,” he wrote, asking his “Brother, to appeal to Vladimir Putin to stop the senseless warfare against the Ukrainian people.” “No reason, no rationale can ever justify the decision to launch a military invasion of an independent country,” the Archbishop wrote, lamenting the suffering of innocent people, like women and children, and soldiers. Archbishop Gądecki had already written a letter to the Orthodox and Catholic bishops of Russia and Ukraine on Feb. 14, asking them to join “the spiritual efforts” to avoid a war in the region.
Exaudi, English
4Congolese bishops express joy after announcement of Pope Francis' visit to DRC
"The importance of such a visit is evident [...] the Pope comes to strengthen the faith of the Catholics in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to rekindle the hope of the Congolese people who need peace, security and well-being." These are the words of the bishops of CENCO, the Congolese National Episcopal Conference, who expressed their joy after the announcement of Pope Francis' visit, which will take place from July 2 to 5, 2022. Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, archbishop of Kinshasa, called for a massive and generous mobilization: "May the papal visit truly be for all an occasion of communion, reconciliation and conversion." Catholic parliamentarians who were in Rome at the time of the announcement welcomed the trip. The last papal visit to the DRC was 37 years ago, when John Paul II went in 1985.
Vatican News, French
5After being injured in an attack last year, Christian Carlassare, the new bishop of Rumbek (South Sudan), will finally be ordained
On April 26, 2020, Father Christian Carlassare, an Italian priest appointed a few weeks earlier by Pope Francis as bishop of the Diocese of Rumbek (South Sudan), was the victim of an attack. He was shot in the leg and hit in the head during the night by an assailant. An investigation carried out by the authorities showed that the Comboni missionary was in fact the victim of a plot hatched by the coordinator of his own diocese, Father John Mathiang Machol. Machol, who denies his involvement, allegedly wanted to scare his future superior away in order to be appointed in his place. On March 25, Father Carlassare will finally be ordained bishop of Rumbek, becoming the youngest bishop in the world at the age of 44. Father Carlassare declared that he has totally forgiven his aggressors and has learned a lot from this misadventure.
Il Sismografo, Italian
