Russia's latest missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were aimed deliberately at civilians and civilian infrastructure and bear clear signs of crimes against humanity, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said, as Ukraine enters another week of winter fighting.,Russia's latest missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities were aimed deliberately at civilians and civilian infrastructure and bear clear signs of crimes against humanity, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said, as Ukraine enters another week of winter fighting.
about 1 month ago
Russia launched missile attacks on Kyiv and other cities, targeting energy infrastructure during sub-zero temperatures.2
The strikes, described as the heaviest in months, involved 12 missiles on Kyiv alone, leaving 1.2 million homes without power and cutting heating to thousands of buildings.2
At least one person was killed and dozens injured, exacerbating Ukraine's worst winter energy crisis since the invasion began nearly four years ago.2
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church called the attacks deliberate crimes against humanity, aimed at destroying infrastructure to "freeze" Ukrainians.2
He highlighted how power outages turn multi-story apartments into "cold traps," with temperatures below 50°F causing systems to freeze.2
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, labeled the strikes "genocide" and criticized waning global attention, stating Ukraine has been "abandoned."2
Civilians endure extreme conditions, fleeing to government tent shelters for heat during blackouts.2
Shevchuk noted people warming hands over grills in neighborhoods and continuing church attendance despite the hardship.2
Emergency crews work amid harsh winter, with temperatures dipping to minus 4°F in mid-January.2
Shevchuk praised the heroism of Ukrainians—men, women, children, and elderly—who pray and demonstrate courage.2
He said attacks meant to demoralize instead strengthen unity, bringing people closer together.2
Ukraine "stands, fights, prays," Shevchuk declared on behalf of civilians and soldiers.2
Shevchuk appealed for global attention amid talks in Davos and UAE on energy truces.2
Cardinal Grzegorz Rys of Kraków shared Shevchuk's message of a "hellish night" and directed church collections to buy generators for Kyiv.2
Rys urged generosity, covering the first generator's cost personally.2
Shevchuk opposed using religion to serve war powers, emphasizing cross-community help.2
Examine the Church’s moral response to wartime civilian suffering
The Catholic Church's moral response to wartime civilian suffering is rooted in the inviolable dignity of every human person, as taught consistently from Scripture through the Magisterium. This response manifests in urgent appeals for ceasefires and dialogue, unequivocal condemnation of indiscriminate violence, promotion of humanitarian aid, and a prophetic call to reject war's madness, emphasizing that civilians—especially the vulnerable like children, the elderly, and the poor—are never "collateral damage" but bearers of Christ's face. Drawing from recent papal addresses and episcopal statements, the Church prioritizes peace as the only just path, while supporting initiatives that alleviate suffering without legitimizing aggression.
At the heart of the Church's teaching is the dignity of the human person, which demands opposition to all acts that dehumanize civilians in conflict. Pope Leo XIV, addressing diplomats, highlights the "ongoing war in Ukraine and the suffering inflicted on the civilian population," reiterating the need for ceasefires and solutions protecting the vulnerable. Similarly, in Gaza and the West Bank, he notes the "serious humanitarian crisis" and rising violence against Palestinian civilians, advocating a two-state solution to secure peace for both peoples. This echoes the U.S. Bishops' insistence that Catholic teaching calls to "oppose torture, unjust war... prevent genocide and attacks against noncombatants... [and] overcome poverty and suffering," revering lives from the womb to those dying in war.
Pope Francis has repeatedly decried war as "madness," where "the innocent pay [the price]," including children orphaned without nationality, refugees, and the wounded. In a poignant appeal, he holds a rosary and New Testament from a 23-year-old Ukrainian soldier, Oleksandr, killed in Avdiivka, urging silence to reflect on youth lost to war's destruction. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, speaking at the UN, condemns attacks on infrastructure as "a crime against God and man," thanking providers of shelter and aid while calling for family reunifications and child protection under international law. These responses frame civilian suffering not as inevitable but as a moral outrage demanding action.
The Church draws from just war tradition—evolving since World War I's "senseless slaughter"—to reject modern warfare's non-discriminatory tactics. Pope Benedict XV's critique of WWI gases prefigures opposition to weapons like drones, mines, and bombs targeting cities. Pope Francis stresses that "modern wars no longer take place only on clearly defined battlefields," with civilians struck indiscriminately in Ukraine and Gaza, labeling violations of humanitarian law as "war crimes." He insists on "proportionate use of force" in self-defense, rejecting civilian deaths as mere "collateral."
In Ukraine, appeals highlight "fratricidal violence" among baptized Christians as scandalous, with Pope Francis rejecting "victory" or "defeat" rhetoric for the sole word "peace." COMECE bishops call war a "grave affront to human dignity," urging Russia to halt actions breaching international law. For Gaza, Pope Leo XIV and Francis decry extremism and responses causing tens of thousands of civilian deaths, mainly children. Anti-personnel mines, killing civilians post-hostilities, evoke the "dramatic cruelty of wars."
Peace through negotiation is the Church's preferred moral imperative, as "weapons be silenced" and dialogue pursued as the "only reasonable door to peace." Pope Leo XIV offers Holy See support for peace initiatives; Francis entrusts missions like Cardinal Zuppi's for humanitarian gestures leading to ceasefires. On Ukraine's invasion anniversary, Francis questions if "everything possible [has been] done to stop the war," urging authorities for "cease-fire and... peace negotiations." Avoiding escalation, as in nuclear risks at Zaporizhzhia, is paramount.
This aligns with Gaudium et Spes, calling to honor and improve conventions curbing war's savagery. Journalists risking lives in Gaza and Ukraine are hailed as truth-bearers against manipulation, with appeals for imprisoned reporters' release.
The Church embodies mercy through action. Pope Leo XIV, visiting a Lebanese hospital, reminds that Christians must care for the fragile poor, seeing Christ's suffering in their faces (citing his own Dilexi Te). Holy See aid via Dicastery for Charity reaches Ukraine; Catholic networks assist millions, including refugees. COMECE urges welcoming Ukrainian refugees as "brothers and sisters." In occupied territories, displaced persons need support for "safe, voluntary... return." Francis thanks mine victims' helpers as "peacemakers."
Pope Leo XIV urges media partnerships for ethical information as a "public good," countering crises where truth is confused with falsehood. This forms consciences amid conflicts, protecting journalists as non-criminals.
In summary, the Church's moral response integrates doctrine and diplomacy: upholding dignity demands rejecting war's inhumanity, prioritizing dialogue over arms, and aiding the afflicted. Recent voices from Popes Leo XIV and Francis, bishops, and scholars affirm that true victory lies in peace, not rubble-built illusions. May this inspire Catholics to pray, advocate, and act as peacemakers.