Pope did not deliver a speech, did not pose for the cameras, he passed through the camp gates alone and quietly prayed all by himself.
Generally Pope Francis did not make any loud statements, but in the memorial book he wrote simple words, understandable to everyone: “Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgiveness for so much cruelty”. Later, Francis met with 12 former prisoners who managed to go through the hell of Auschwitz, met with the Righteous Among the Nations and representatives of the Jewish and Catholic communities in Poland. Pope visited Auschwitz as part of his visit to the World Youth Day in Poland and on the occasion of the 1050 anniversary of Christianity in the country.
A few days ago many reverent fathers of various ranks from around the world were in Kyiv. But none of them visited places of mass execution of people. I remind you that this year marks 75 years since the beginning of the executions at Babi Yar in Kiev: according to different evidences from 150 to 200 thousand people, mostly Jews were executed there. The exact number of dead victims has not yet been established, though so much time has passed, still there is no museum, no memorial book there. From 1.5 to 1.9 million Jews were tortured in Ukraine.
This is our common history and joint pain, if we forget about it, who will ensure that such tragedies do not recur in the future?
No comments:
Post a Comment