‘We can’t resign ourselves to the inevitability of war’

What is your state of mind on this occasion?

It can only be one of deep sadness because we cannot get used to or remain indifferent to the news that reaches us every day of more deaths and destruction. Ukraine is a nation that has been attacked and is suffering martyrdom, witnessing the sacrifice of entire generations of men, both young and old, ripped from their studies, work, and families to be sent to the frontlines. It is experiencing the tragedy of those who see their loved ones die under bombs or drone strikes and the suffering of those who have lost their homes or are forced to live in precarious conditions because of the war.

What can we do to help Ukraine?

First of all, as Christian believers, we can and must pray. We must implore God to convert the hearts of the “lords of war.” We must continue to ask for the intercession of Mary, who is especially venerated in those lands that received Baptism many centuries ago. Secondly, we can commit ourselves to ensuring that our solidarity never falters for those who are suffering, who need care, who endure the cold, or who lack everything. The Church in Ukraine is doing a lot for the population, sharing each and every day in the plight of a nation at war. Thirdly, we can make our voices heard as a community, as a people, to demand peace. We can cry out, asking for peace initiatives to be listened to and considered. We can express our rejection of war and the insane arms race, which Pope Francis continues to denounce. A sense of helplessness in the face of what is happening is understandable, but it is even truer that together, as one human family, we can do much.

What do we need today to at least stop the sound of weapons?

It is appropriate to say “at least stop the sound of weapons.” Because negotiating a just peace takes time, whereas a truce shared by all parties involved — primarily made possible by Russia, which initiated the conflict and should cease its aggression — could happen in just a few hours, if only the will existed. As the Holy Father often says, we need people willing to bet on peace, not on war, individuals who realize the enormous responsibility represented by continuing a conflict with dire outcomes not only for Ukraine but for all of Europe and the world. This war risks dragging us into a nuclear confrontation, a descent into the abyss. The Holy See is trying to do all it can, maintaining channels of dialogue open with everyone, but it feels as though the clock of history has been turned back. Diplomatic efforts, patient dialogue, and creative negotiation seem to have vanished as relics of the past. The victims, the innocents, are the ones paying the price. War steals the future from generations of children and young people, creates division, and fuels hatred. How desperately we need statesmen with a farsighted vision, capable of courageous acts of humility, thinking of the good of their people. Forty years ago, in Rome, the Peace Treaty between Argentina and Chile was signed, resolving the Beagle Channel dispute with the mediation of the Holy See. Just a few years earlier, the two nations had been on the brink of war, with armies already mobilized. Everything was stopped, thank God: countless lives were spared, many tears avoided. Why can’t this spirit be rediscovered today in the heart of Europe?

Do you believe there is room for negotiations today?

Even though the signals are not positive, a negotiation is always possible and desirable for anyone who rightly values the sacredness of human life. Negotiating is not a sign of weakness but of courage. The path of “honest negotiations” and “honorable compromises” — referring here to the words of Pope Francis during his recent trip to Luxembourg and Belgium — is the main road that should be followed by those who hold the destinies of peoples in their hands. Dialogue is only possible when there is at least a minimum level of trust between the parties, which requires good faith from everyone. If there is no trust, even to a small degree, and if actions lack sincerity, everything remains at a standstill. In Ukraine, in the Holy Land, and in so many other parts of the world, fighting and dying continue. We cannot resign ourselves to the inevitability of war! I sincerely hope that this sad day, the thousandth since the outbreak of military aggression against Ukraine, will awaken a sense of responsibility in everyone, especially those who can stop the ongoing carnage.

By Andrea Tornielli