The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk said that Ukraine’s ongoing resistance to a full-scale Russian invasion is a “miracle.”
Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk compared the war to the 1920 “Miracle on the Vistula,” when outnumbered Polish forces defeated Russia’s Red Army. He sent a video message recorded on March 8 in the besieged Ukrainian capital Kyiv.
“Today is March 8, 2022, and Ukraine is experiencing the 13th day of this horrible war. That which is taking place on the territory of our homeland is being called the ‘Miracle on the Dnipro’ by some historians,” he said, referring to the river running through Ukraine, also known as the Dnieper.
“Something similar took place almost 100 years ago on the Vistula, when the Polish army stopped the invasion of the Red Horde, and stood up for independence, the right for the existence of the revived Polish state.”
He went on: “Today, that Miracle on the Dnipro is being forged by our Ukrainian army, stopping this latest invasion of our northern neighbor, who set foot onto our land carrying destruction, carrying death, attempting to destroy the freedom-loving Ukrainian people.”
“But by the power of love, love for the homeland, by the power of the unity of the Ukrainian people — we amazed the world.”
“We are creating a miracle of a people who demonstrate their love of freedom to the whole world and amazes the whole world.”
Shevchuk recorded his latest video message as Russian forces continued to advance on Kyiv, where he is sheltering with others under the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Resurrection.