Vatican City - The injustices of the past, such as those committed by Soviet Communism in Ukraine, should stimulate the construction of a civilization that respects life, expressed John Paul II on Dec. 4th in a message to Cardinals Lubomyr Husar, archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, and Marian Jaworsky, archbishop of Lviv of the Latins, on the 70th anniversary of the great famine of 1932-33.
With his message, written in Ukrainian, the Pope wanted "to spiritually join everyone in the Ukraine in recalling the victims of this tragedy and inviting young people to remember past events so that similar suffering is never repeated again," explained a note accompanying the message, quoted by the Vatican Information Service.
The Pope wrote, "the memory of the past acquires a value that transcends the borders of a nation, reaching other peoples who have been victims of events that are equally devastating and, therefore, are comforted by sharing their experience", and continued: "The experience of this tragedy must guide the sense and activity of the Ukrainian people today toward peace and cooperation".
"Ukraine is called to offer in building the 'common European house' in which all peoples may be accepted with respect for the values of their own identity", added in his message John Paul II.
