Life Illumined
Statement on Ukraine
In the spring of 2022, just a fortnight after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine’s heartland, the Nordic Bishops’ Conference was in session in Tromsø. We felt compelled to issue a statement on this act of violent aggression. The war still rages. It presents Europe, indeed the entire world, with crucial choices. At this year’s spring session, which ended today, our conference again resolved to speak on this matter. Here is our statement in English and German. You can find it, too, on the conference’s website.
To illustrate the statement’s reference to our region’s millennial relationship with Kyivan Rus’, I have included below a passage from the Saga of St Olav in Snorre’s Heimskringla, which speaks of Olav’s significant exile in 1029-30 as a guest of Jaroslav the Wise.
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On 11 March 2022, we, members of the Nordic Bishops’ Conferences, issued a statement expressing our ‘profound communion with the Ukrainian people and its outrage at the war of aggression by which the Russian Federation shows disdain for Ukraine’s sovereignty and causes untold suffering to millions of innocent people’.
Two years on, our outrage is undiminished, sharpened by grief at the many lives lost, at the multitudes maimed or driven from their homes, at the trauma sustained by children, and at the systematic destruction of a national, cultural, and religious patrimony.
The prospect of Russian aggression touches our own countries. A few days ago, Russia announced the mobilisation of troops along the Finnish border. Memories of past confrontation are evoked.
In such a climate, fortitude is called for, and clear thinking. Required is a long-term vision for European stability that can enable the flourishing of peace in lasting justice.
At a time when our continent is rocked by winds of menace, we need to make sure our roots run deep. In this work, the Catholic Church in the Nordic countries wishes to play its part.
We applaud the resilience of Ukraine and the efforts made by people of good will to feed the hungry, console the grieving, nurse the sick. In such ways the flame of hope penetrates the deadening darkness of hatred. We especially commend the work of Caritas in Ukraine. Like last year, our countries will unite in a Pentecost action to collect funds for Caritas’s humanitarian work in Ukraine.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees have, during these two years, been integrated into our Nordic parishes and communities. We welcome them. They enrich us with the spiritual riches they bring.
For a thousand years a strong bond of friendship has tied our countries to the region of Kyivan Rus’. We pray God, the Protector of the poor, who laughs at the presumption of princes (Psalm 2.4), to restore peace to Ukraine. As we enter Passiontide, our eyes focus on Jesus, who is our peace (Ephesians 2.14), before Pontius Pilate. We are reminded that an endeavour to establish peace in our sin-sick world involves speaking truth to power.
May Christ’s saving Pasch, the foundation of our existence, renew the face of the earth. May Christ’s Spirit make us truly wise.
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Am 11. März 2022 veröffentlichten wir, die Nordische Bischofskonferenz, eine Erklärung, in der wir unsere “tiefe Verbundenheit mit dem ukrainischen Volk und unsere Empörung über den Angriffskrieg“ zum Ausdruck brachten, „mit dem die Russische Föderation die Souveränität der Ukraine missachtet und unsägliches Leid über Millionen unschuldiger Menschen bringt”.
Zwei Jahre später ist unsere Empörung ungebrochen, verstärkt durch die Trauer über die vielen verlorenen Menschenleben, die vielen verstümmelten oder vertriebenen Menschen, die traumatisierten Kinder und die systematische Zerstörung eines nationalen, kulturellen und religiösen Erbes.
Die russische Aggression weckt auch in unseren Ländern Sorge: Vor einigen Tagen hat Russland die Verlegung von Truppen entlang der finnischen Grenze angekündigt. Erinnerungen an vergangene Konfrontationen werden wach. In einem solchen Klima sind Tapferkeit und klares Denken gefragt. Erforderlich ist eine langfristige Vision für europäische Stabilität, die das Gedeihen des Friedens in dauerhafter Gerechtigkeit ermöglichen kann. In einer Zeit, in der unser Kontinent von bedrohlichen Stürmen erschüttert wird, müssen wir sicherstellen, dass unsere Wurzeln tief reichen. Die katholische Kirche in den nordischen Ländern möchte dabei ihren Beitrag leisten.
Wir begrüßen die Widerstandsfähigkeit der Ukraine und die Bemühungen von Menschen guten Willens, die Hungrigen zu speisen, die Trauernden zu trösten und die Kranken zu pflegen. Auf diese Weise durchdringt die Flamme der Hoffnung die tödliche Finsternis des Hasses. Wir würdigen insbesondere die Arbeit der Caritas in der Ukraine. Wie im vergangenen Jahr werden sich unsere Länder zu einer Pfingstaktion zusammenschließen, um Geld für die humanitäre Arbeit der Caritas in der Ukraine zu sammeln.
Hunderttausende ukrainische Flüchtlinge sind in diesen zwei Jahren in unsere nordischen Kirchengemeinden und Gemeinschaften integriert worden. Wir heißen sie willkommen. Sie bereichern uns mit ihrem geistlichen Reichtum.
Seit tausend Jahren verbindet unsere Länder ein starkes Band der Freundschaft mit der Region der Kiewer Rus’. Wir bitten Gott, den Beschützer der Armen, der über die Anmaßung der Fürsten lacht (Psalm 2,4), den Frieden in der Ukraine wiederherzustellen.
In der Passionszeit richten sich unsere Augen auf Jesus, der unser Friede ist (Epheser 2,14), und vor Pontius Pilatus steht. Wir werden daran erinnert, dass das Bemühen um Frieden in unserer von Sünde geplagten Welt auch bedeutet, der Macht die Wahrheit zu sagen. Möge das rettende Osterfest Christi, die Grundlage unserer Existenz, das Antlitz der Erde erneuern. Möge der Geist Christi uns wahrhaft weise machen.
Luxemburg, den 15.03.2024
+ Czeslaw Kozon, Kopenhagen, Vorsitzender
+ Anders Kardinal Arborelius OCD, Stockholm, stellvertretender Vorsitzender
+ Bernt Eidsvig Can.Reg, Oslo
+ David Tencer OFMCap, Reykjavik
+ Raimo Goyarrola, Helsinki
+ Erik Varden O.C.S.O., Bischof Prälat Trondheim und Apostolischer Administrator Tromsø
+ Peter Bürcher, Bischof em. Reykjavik
+ Berislav Grgic, Bischof Prälat em. Tromsø
Members of the Nordic Bishops’ Conference at Mass on Tuesday 12 March with Bishop Bohdan Dzyurakh, Apostolic Exarch for Greek-Catholic Ukrainians in Germany and Scandinavia, and the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Julio Murat.
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From The Saga of Olav Haraldsson, nn. 191 and 198-99:
King Jarisleif received King Olaf in the kindest manner, and made him the offer to remain with him, and to have so much land as was necessary for defraying the expense of the entertainment of his followers. King Olaf accepted this offer thankfully, and remained there. […] King Jarisleif and Queen Ingegerd offered him to remain with them, and receive a kingdom called Vulgaria, which is a part of Russia, and in which land the people were still heathen. King Olaf thought over this offer; but when he proposed it to his men they dissuaded him from settling himself there, and urged the king to betake himself to Norway to his own kingdom: but the king himself had resolved almost in his own mind to lay down his royal dignity, to go out into the world to Jerusalem, or other holy places, and to enter into some order of monks. But yet the thought lay deep in his soul to recover again, if there should be any opportunity for him, his kingdom in Norway. When he thought over this, it recurred to his mind how all things had gone prosperously with him during the first ten years of his reign, and how afterwards every thing he undertook became heavy, difficult, and hard; and that he had been unlucky, on all occasions in which he had tried his luck. On this account he doubted if it would be prudent to depend so much upon his luck, as to go with so little strength into the hands of his enemies, seeing that all the people of the country had taken part with them to oppose King Olaf. Such cares he had often on his mind, and he left his cause to God, praying that He would do what to Him seemed best. These thoughts he turned over in his mind, and knew not what to resolve upon; for he saw how evidently dangerous that was which his inclination was most bent upon.
One night the king lay awake in his bed, thinking with great anxiety about his determination, and at last, being tired of thinking, sleep came over him towards morning; but his sleep was so light that he thought he was awake, and could see all that was doing in the house. Then he saw a great and superb man, in splendid clothes, standing by his bed; and it came into the king’s mind that this was King Olaf Trygvason who had come to him. This man said to him, “Thou are very sick of thinking about thy future resolutions; and it appears to me wonderful that these thoughts should be so tumultuous in thy soul that thou shouldst even think of laying down the kingly dignity which God hath given thee, and of remaining here and accepting of a kingdom from foreign and unknown kings. Go back rather to that kingdom which thou hast received in heritage, and rule over it with the strength which God hath given thee, and let not thy inferiors take it from thee. It is the glory of a king to be victorious over his enemies, and it is a glorious death to die in battle. Or art thou doubtful if thou hast right on thy side in the strife with thine enemies? Thou must have no doubts, and must not conceal the truth from thyself. Thou must go back to thy country, and God will give open testimony that the kingdom is thine by property.” When the king awoke he thought he saw the man’s shoulders going out. From this time the king’s courage rose, and he fixed firmly his resolution to return to Norway; to which his inclination also tended most, and which he also found was the desire of all his men. He bethought himself also that the country being without a chief could be easily attacked, from what he had heard, and that after he came himself many would turn back towards him. When the king told his determination to his people they all gave it their approbation joyfully.
Having received this monition, Olav travelled from Kyivan Rus’ to Norway, to face his enemies in battles and to die a martyr’s death at Stiklestad, just north of Trondheim.