Four years on from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a Catholic bishop has spoken of the day by day reality of death, suffering and faith.
Jan Sobilo is the auxiliary bishop of Kharkiv-Zaporizhzhia Diocese. The diocese covers Ukraine’s Kharkiv Oblast and Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Most of the diocese is currently held by Ukraine, nonetheless parts of the diocese are under the control of Russian forces. It is subsequently very much on the front line.
In the cities currently controlled by Russian forces, no priests can be found to serve the diocese. Parishes not controlled by the Russians have seen a swelling of their ranks, mainly on account of people fleeing their homes.
While many all over the world have been marking the four-year anniversary of the conflict, it is commonly forgotten that the war began well before the “full scale invasion” or “special military operation” launched in 2022. The war within the Donbass region has been happening since 2014, following a Western-supported coup against a pro-Russian government in Kyiv.
Speaking to Aid to the Church in Need, Bishop Sobilo said, “Nobody expected the war to start out in 2014, after which the situation got much worse after the invasion in 2022.”
The bishop said that officiating at funerals, particularly of the sons claimed by the war, was the toughest thing he had needed to do.
“The worst for me is to see the moms who’ve lost their children. I remember one case, specifically, of a young man who was drafted soon after ending school. He did his training, then went to the front line and died two weeks later,” he recalled.
“His body was never recovered. Seeing his mother mourn her only child in this manner was heartbreaking.”
Despite the sorrow and the hardship, Bishop Sobilo said that individuals were holding onto their faith: “I don’t know anybody who lost their faith. An officer once told me that amongst all of the people he knew on the front line, there are not any atheists. You never know when your time will come.”
Spiritually, the Church has taken additional efforts to arrange people for death.
“Everybody has someone close who has died due to war. You never know when your time will come,” he said.
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