Далі ви маєте нагоду послухати виступаючих на Площї Федерації, а також переглянути деякі світлини на сторінці
Отже, цього дня, через 365 днів страхіть і горя в Україні, у Мельбурні виступили:
Acknowledgment to country - Professor Mark Rose, Co-Chair of the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations Stefan Romaniw (AFUO/СУОА), Federal Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten, Liberal Senator for Victoria David Van, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Sydney Dr Monika Kończyk, Leader of Opposition and Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party John Presutto, Liberal MP from Victoria M Guy, Labor Member of the Legislative Council Lee Tarmalis, Olympic Ukrainian hammer thrower Iryna Klymets from Ukraine, recently arrived displaced person from Ukraine Svetlana Solowij, Chrestyna Kmetj from the AFUO, Chair of the Association of Ukrainians in Victoria Tetiana Zachariak.
Liberal Senator for Victoria David Van, Melbourne, Federation Square, 24 February 2023.
People have gathered in solidarity with Ukraine on the first anniversary of the full-scale Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melbourne, Federation Square, 24 February 2023.
Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Sydney Dr Monika Kończyk, Melbourne, Federation Square, 24 February 2023.
People have gathered in solidarity with Ukraine on the first anniversary of the full-scale Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Melbourne, Federation Square, 24 February 2023.
From the Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, Eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, 24 February 2023, Melbourne
Bishop Mykola Bychok. Credit: Ukrainian Catholic Church.
Your Grace, My Lords, Dear priests and deacons, dear members of the Council of Victorian Churches, beloved brothers and sisters in Christ,
Glory be to Jesus Christ,
Today is the 1st anniversary of the terrible war in Ukraine. This anniversary is not one to celebrate, but something to remember for future generations. We should also remember that the war actually began in 2014 after the invasion and occupation of the Crimean Peninsula by the Russian Federation. This means that we have had 9 years of war in reality. Today, all together, we unite in a special prayer for peace in Ukraine as the living Body of Jesus Christ, which is the Church. The 24th of February, 2022 is a day that changed the lives of all Ukrainians, and the whole world. Life will no longer be the same as it was before the war. The modern world is experiencing the largest war in the heart of Europe since World War II. During the course of the past year, cities such as Bucha, Irpin, Borodyanka, Mariupol, Izyum, Kharkiv, Kherson, Bakhmut became famous just for one reason – the excessive cruelty of Russia to the innocent citizens of Ukraine. After that, Ukrainians had many questions: Why can another state freely kill our people? Where is justice? Why do innocent children suffer? Where is God in this war?
Some answers we can find in the Bible. Among the many Old Testament examples of patience and faithfulness, we can highlight the person of Job. He is an example of a patient man of God. His patience is very similar to the pain and patience of the Ukrainian people during the war. But despite all the patience, he remains faithful to God.
Job’s patience is special and extreme in the amount of suffering he endured. Job lost all his children and his wealth in one day. Then he was covered with painful sores, and his wife offered him no support, encouraging him to give up, curse God, and die (Job 2, 9). When Job’s three friends came to comfort him, they did not even remotely recognize him (Job 2, 12). Job was even more tormented by the fact that his friends falsely accused him of bad deeds and blamed his unrepentant heart for their troubles. Job endured all this patiently (Job 2, 10).
The example of Job shows us all that suffering comes to a person not only for his sins, but can also have the meaning of a trial. For all that, patience remains a mystery, an incomprehensible phenomenon concerning the fate of man on earth; through patience a person is glorified like Job, but without patience one is often brought to shame.
Righteous Job was noted for such virtues as righteousness, piety and integrity. Seeing the wealth of his virtues, the enemy did everything to sneakily steal it from him. Something similar is happening now with the Ukrainian people, where the enemy sneakily, brazenly and cruelly steals our history and independence. The same thing also happens with us when we are in a state of sanctifying grace, but the enemy, the devil, seeks to steal it at any price and make us captive. Very often he manages to do this due to our neediness and carelessness. On the other hand, if we look at the figure of Job, Satan, having destroyed his body and everything he had, could not rob the spiritual treasures of this righteous man, because he found him well armed with God’s spirit. We also learn to prevail in the fight against the enemy of our salvation through patience in suffering. For that, we need to be spiritually armed: pray, hear, read and study the Word of God on a daily basis.
Amid tragedy, if you want to find God, look where the suffering is. God is there suffering with us. This is the message of the Incarnation that God is with us. So don’t look at the heavens and shake your fist. Look at the dirt and the earth. And dig your hands in. For that is where God is, with us in the midst of it all. In this our current trial, as in the story of Job, Jesus is likewise telling us that God, when we feel most lifeless and hopeless and worthless, isn’t going to leave or forsake us or send us to the fires. Rather, God is entering into our lifelessness, hopelessness and worthlessness with compassion, love and forgiveness.
The war showed us many miracles. The first miracle is that Ukraine has been fighting for its independence firstly for 9 years since 2014 and for a whole year since 24th of February 2022. While the whole world gave our country only 3 days, when our enemy fired thousands of rockets at us, in a strange way some of these rockets returned back; more than once there was a storm at sea, because of which warships could not enter the Black Sea and to fire rockets at us; many people in Ukraine and around the world have united in their efforts to repel the enemy.
In today’s prayer we not only pray for peace, but above all, we remember our fallen heroes, volunteers and civilians, who gave their lives in order that others might live.
May Almighty God have mercy on us all and Our Lady of the Perpetual Help protect us and save us. Amen.
In Christ Our Redeemer,
+Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsR, Eparch for Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, New Zealand and Oceania.
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- Joint media release with:
- Anthony Albanese MP, Prime Minister of Australia
- Richard Marles MP, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Defence
24 February 2023
Today marks one year since Russia launched its illegal and immoral full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
We mourn the incalculable losses that Ukraine has endured.
We honour the unwavering resolve and strength of the Ukrainian people as they stand up to Russia's continued aggression.
We are proud to stand with Ukraine as it defends its people, its territory, and its sovereignty.
Today, on this most sombre occasion, the Australian Government is announcing additional military assistance to Ukraine and further costs on Russia, including additional sanctions.
The Australian Government will provide additional Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) to Ukraine. These systems provide a battlefield intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability for the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they continue to fight.
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The General Assembly of the United Nations has held a moment's silence in honour of the victims of the Ukraine war. It comes a day after the world body passed a nonbinding resolution condemning the Russian invasion. In a special meeting to mark the first anniversary of the war, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an end to the conflict.
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On this one year anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked full-scale brutal invasion and nine year anniversary since the beginning of Russia’s war on Ukraine the civilized world is taking to the streets in massive demonstrations of support and allegiance with the people of Ukraine. Over 300 cities around the world have joined the Ukrainian World Congress Unite with Ukraine global rally.
