English Wall

I wish to express my shock and dismay at the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine.   Significant diplomatic efforts have come to naught in the brutal, cynical, and a very violent invasion of Ukraine in recent days. My heart is with the people whose lives and land are being torn apart.  The images on our screens during the week bring home once again the horror and injustice of war, and evoke compassion and solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as well as with the many Ukrainians who have made Ireland their home.

What can we do in the face of such unwarranted, dehumanizing, and immoral aggression?  First, this aggression and violence cannot be accepted: there must be an outright and radical rejection of such a way of being present and asserting oneself in the world.  As we know from our own history on this island, the way of peace has to be one of dialogue, dignity, and respect.  Nothing else stands the test of time; nothing else endures (see 1Cor 13:7).

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