CWN - The Synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has issued a statement praising the people of Ukraine for standing together against “systematic corruption, governmental repression, and intolerable social conditions.”

The statement—signed by Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the leader of the Byzantine Catholic community in Ukraine—says that today the people of Ukraine are “horrified by the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in the eastern part of the country inspired and supported by foreign special forces.”

“What happened in Ukraine has been truly miraculous,” the bishops proclaim. “All Ukrainian churches and religious organizations stood together,” they say, in support of the country’s unity and autonomy. The Synod offers special thanks to the country's Orthodox believers, saying that they joined in the solidarity of all Ukrainians.

Ukraine, the bishops say, “has been on an extended, inspired pilgrimage from fear and fraud to dignity and integrity.”

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