Pope links plight of Ukrainians today to Stalin's 'genocide'

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By NICOLE WINFIELD

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Wednesday linked the suffering of Ukrainians now to the 1930s “genocide artificially caused by Stalin,” when the Soviet leader was blamed for creating a man-made famine in Ukraine believed to have killed more than 3 million people.

Francis’ linking of the plight of Ukrainian civilians today to those killed by starvation 90 years ago, and his willingness to call it a “genocide” caused by Josef Stalin, marked a sharp escalation in papal rhetoric against Russia. As of this year, only 17 countries have officially recognized the famine, known as the Holodomor, as a genocide, according to the Holodomor Museum in Kyiv.

In comments at the end of his weekly Wednesday general audience, Francis renewed calls for prayers for the “terrible suffering of the dear and martyred Ukrainian people.” He recalled that Saturday marks the 90th anniversary of the start of the famine, which Ukraine commemorates every fourth Saturday of November with a Day of Memory.

“Saturday begins the anniversary of the terrible genocide of the Holodomor, the extermination by starvation artificially caused by Stalin between 1932-1933,” Francis said. “Let us pray for the victims of this genocide and let us pray for so many Ukrainians — children, women, elderly, babies — who today are suffering the martyrdom of aggression.”



Pope Francis speaks during his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pope-francis-kyiv-religion-famine-vatican-city-64a2f863ec55dbff33cbd528e161e1a4

[irisblue]

1. No lie told there Bucky. The world saw what you did.

[Deep State Witch]

2. Finally!

Someone drops the "G" word.

[Hekate]

3. Pope Francis is absolutely right. This is not the first time Russia has tried to wipe out Ukrainians

[onetexan]

7. +1 -K&R!!

I like this pope.

[yellowdogintexas]

4. I recently read a book about the Holodomor, The Memory Keeper of Kyiv

it is a powerfully moving book.

I knew there were famines due to the poorly managed collective farming but I did not know about the deliberate man made famine forced upon Ukraine.

It would be an excellent book club selection. some notes from the Amazon page

In the 1930s, Stalin’s activists marched through the Soviet Union, espousing the greatness of collective farming. It was the first step in creating a man-made famine that, in Ukraine, stole almost 4 million lives. Inspired by the history the world forgot, and the Russian government denies, Erin Litteken reimagines their story.
In 1929, Katya is 16 years old, surrounded by family and in love with the boy next door. When Stalin’s activists arrive in her village, it’s just a few, a little pressure to join the collective. But soon neighbors disappear, those who speak out are never seen again and every new day is uncertain.

Resistance has a price, and as desperate hunger grips the countryside, survival seems more a dream than a possibility. But, even in the darkest times, love beckons.

Seventy years later, a young widow discovers her grandmother’s journal, one that will reveal the long-buried secrets of her family’s haunted past.

This is a story of the resilience of the human spirit, the love that sees us through our darkest hours and the true horror of what happened during the Holodomor.

May we never forget, lest history repeat itself.

A share of proceeds will be donated to DEC's Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

[blue-wave]

5. There is also a very good, relatively recent movie

about the Holodomor, "Mr. Jones." I highly recommend it.

From what I have studied about Holodomor, you are spot on with the facts. I must pick up a copy the book you read.

I do know that Stalin sent hundreds of thousands communist activists into Ukraine to enforce his genocidal collectivization. And remember, Ukraine at the time was mostly divided between Soviet Russia (eastern part of present day Ukraine) and Poland (much of western present day Ukraine). The Holodomor did not happen in the Polish controlled part of Ukraine, only in the Soviet Russian part. Therefore, this is the reason for the population of present day eastern Ukraine having a higher concentration of ethnic Russians. Stalin and his predecessors settled Russians there after they genocided the native eastern Ukrainians.

[yellowdogintexas]

10. Hope you can get it from the library. It is a brand new release so it's pricy

It was one of those Amazon First Reads that they put out every month and you can basically borrow the book. No limit on how long you can keep it but you can only have 10 at a time.

[electric_blue68]

13. I don't get to the movies that often even before Covid. (when you have a a lot of interests...

Last edited Fri Nov 25, 2022, 09:45 PM - Edit history (1)

monies have to parceled even when I was middle-class)

Still, I have paid a fair amount of attention though to major, and independent releases through the decades (and my sis is a movie/film buff), so I recognize a lot of titles, and know at least something about a bunch. Somewhat less than the recent past for several intersecting conditions.

I did hear the title Mr. Jones back in '19/'20 possibly caught a bit of the trailer, or saw the poster on line. But I (half 2nd gen Ukrainian-American) had no idea it was about The Holodomor!
And I'd only found out about that with the past 5-10 yrs. My dad's dad left Ukraine in early 1900's before the Russian Revolution, or soon after.My dad said he was a peasant outside of Kyiv.

Thanks for the heads up. 👍

[wnylib]

6. English lyrics to the Ukrainian National Anthem

reveal the courage, unity, and inspiration of the Ukrainian people.

[yellowdogintexas]

11. Video of Vadym Kholodenko (a past Cliburn gold medalist)

htps://

Playing the Ukrainian National Anthem to open the awards ceremony. It was so beautiful and since he is Ukrainian, it was especially meaningful.

[wnylib]

12. Beautiful. Ty.

[Evolve Dammit]

8. Thank you

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

9. Problem is Pooty Poot admires Stalin