It’s hard to tell who is right in the Ukrainian crisis from the secular press. We don’t know the full truth and can’t make judgments about who is in the right.
The Ukrainians say that they are the legitimate rulers of all Ukraine, including the Crimean region. The Crimeans say that they have the right to secede and voted to do so.
America and the European Union say that they will protect the sovereign integrity and territory of all Ukraine. The Russians say that they will protect ethnic Russians in the Crimean region which is located in one place only 12 miles from Russia. The ethnic Russians constitute 58% of the Crimean population.
Yesterday Russia recognized Crimea as a sovereign and independent state. America and the European Union do not.
Today Russia and Crimea signed an agreement that Crimea is now a part of Russia whose parliament will soon vote to ratify Crimea’s accession to the Russian Federation.
What does the Church say?
The Eastern- rite Ukrainian Catholic Church has the most members in all of the Ukraine. The Orthodox Ukrainian church has the most members in the Crimean region.
The Ukrainian Catholic Church was outlawed between the years of 1946 to 1989. The government confiscated all Church property, gave some buildings to the Orthodox and turned the rest into secular uses.
The Church says that this might be repeated if the Crimean region becomes independent or comes under Russian rule, as has now happened.
Remember that the Chernobyl nuclear disaster occurred in the Ukraine. It still has many nuclear plants.
The Ukrainians say that they gave up their nuclear weapons in return for a promise from America and the West that we would protect its sovereign integrity and territory.
The Ukrainians implied that if we fail to do so, they may resort to nuclear weapons to defend themselves which could lead to a Holocaust. (Read the report here.)
One “incident” could cause this, just like other “incidents” caused other wars with their rallying cries: “Remember the Alamo!”; “Remember Fort Sumter!”; “Remember the Maine!” and “Remember the Lusitania!”
We should also remember the Crimean War (1853-1856) and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem The Charge of the Light Brigade. He wrote, “Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred” English cavalrymen where they were slaughtered by the Russians.
The Ukrainian Prime Minister says that there is a strong possibility of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Click here for protection against chastisements.
The late Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Roman Danylak was our apostolates’ spiritual advisor.
In 1995, he led me and 150 pilgrims with the Visitation Image of Jesus King of All Nations and the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe through the streets to churches in Mexico City.
The pilgrimage culminated with the display of the Images and the Bishop’s preaching for life and peace in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Let us pray, together with Bishop Danylak, novenas to Jesus King of All Nations for peace in the Ukraine.
Jesus dictated the Novena Prayer:
“We pray to You, Lord, in the great expectation of receiving from You, O Divine King, Mercy, peace, justice and all good things. Protect, O Lord our King, our families and the land of our birth. Guard us, we pray, Most Faithful One! Protect us from our enemies and from Your Just Judgment.”
Our apostolate is dedicated to the promotion of peace through the practice of the Jesus King of All Nations Devotion.
Click here to see how to practice the Devotion.
If you believe that this Devotion is important, we ask that you prayerfully consider supporting our apostolate.
We are in the midst of our vital Lenten Campaign. We must reach our goal in order to continue our work. Please help us!
Sincerely in Christ,
Dan Lynch