Don’t let certain news be the ‘inner occupier of your person,’ says Ukrainian Catholic leader

Vatican City, Apr 1, 2022 / 10:30 am

The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has encouraged Christians to not allow the news of the moment to take over their minds, wills, and feelings.

“Let us wage our invisible warfare against untruth and all that is trying to paralyze our will and seize our inner spiritual world,” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said in a video message issued on April 1.

Especially during the season of Lent, he said, Christians should evaluate whether “certain news that you read or see on television is news that tries to captivate your mind, will, or feelings, trying to become the inner occupier of your person.”

“Know that this propaganda is a suggestion of evil,” he added. “And then let us resist. It is so important to realize that we can overcome, not by our own strength, but by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit."

“Let us eradicate evil from our hearts. Let us be Christian and human, even in the circumstances of war,” Shevchuck stated.

The 51-year-old major archbishop is based in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv. He has published daily video messages beginning a few days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24.

“Today is Friday, April 1, 2022. And Ukraine has been standing and waging this patriotic war against the Russian aggressor for 37 days,” Shevchuk said.

“Throughout yesterday and this night, the Ukrainian land is once again shaken by Russian missiles and bombs, our cities and villages of our homeland are on fire once again,” he added.

“May God's blessing rest upon all of us, and may victory over evil be Ukraine’s victory in its invisible struggle against the devil.”