The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti visited recently shelled Avdijivka

17.02.2017

On February 14-15, 2017 the Apostolic Nuncio in Ukraine Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti together with bishop Jan Sobilo, President of the Technical Committee of the Initiative ‘The Pope for Ukraine’ were on a two-day visit to Donetsk region, during which they visited Sviatohirsk, Kramatorsk, Avdiyivka and other inhabited settlements of Donetsk region recently affected by shelling, „Pope for Ukraine“ action web page informs.

First, the Apostolic Nuncio met children and families that had moved during the period of intensification of military actions in Avdiyivka to come to know personally from them about the circumstances under which they left their houses as well as to see the conditions in which the children are staying now.

On February 15 the Apostolic Nuncio met the children and teachers of local comprehensive schools, visited the local hospital, several residential houses located in the area of old Avdiyivka that had been most affected.

Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti arrived in Donetsk region to show solidarity, to bring the prayer and the blessing of Pope Francis to the people who stayed without water, heat, and lights in harsh frost. His goal was to hear directly from local residents about the needs which constitute their current priorities.

The representatives of the Holy Father tried to spend as much time as possible communicating with children. That is why meetings at schools were the longest and most heart-stirring.

Children are the future of Ukraine, and the conditions in which they are grown up and developing today will determine Ukraine’s future for years and generations to come’, – stresses Archbishop Gugerotti. That is why emergency assistance provided by Pope Francis, besides the projects which are already under implementation, has been directed at the rehabilitation of children. This assistance will be supplied to the region through SAVE THE CHILDREN organization, with which the respective Agreement was concluded on February 15.

When the Pope heard about Avdiyivka, he wanted his representative to go as soon as possible to the place where such tragic events had taken place, for him to personally see to the needs of local residents and transfer assistance from millions of people from the whole world to them. One of the specific gestures we want to show is assistance provision to children of the affected region for the amount of 200 thousand Euros’, – indicated the Vatican’s Envoy in his talk with the representatives of the military-civil administration of Avdiyivka.

Ganzer Artikel unter www.risu.org.ua