Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Feb 24, 2022 / 13:46 pm
The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is choosing to stay in his home country even as, he says, it risks becoming a “death camp.”
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych remained in the capital city of Kyiv instead of traveling to Florence for a scheduled bishops’ meeting that Pope Francis was expected to address, reports say.
Early Thursday morning, Russia began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by launching missiles into the country. Nearly 3 million people live in Kyiv, where videos capture blaring air raid sirens and long lines of traffic as citizens attempt to flee. Others took more immediate shelter in underground train stations.
In a letter addressed to Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia and the president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, Shevchuk stressed that “the current situation requires my presence in the country.”