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POPE-FAMINE Nov-24-2008 (310 words) With photos. xxxi
Pope prays for victims of 1932-33 Ukrainian famine
By John Thavis
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI prayed for the victims of the 1932-33 "Great Famine" that left millions dead in Ukraine and other parts of the Soviet Union.
In an apparent reference to the Soviet policies of collectivization and food confiscation that provoked the famine, the pope condemned ideologically based governmental actions that violate basic human rights.
He made the remarks at a noon blessing at the Vatican Nov. 23, at a time when many Ukrainians were commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Holodomor, or "death by hunger," the name given to the famine that occurred in the Soviet Ukraine.
Speaking in Ukrainian, the pope recalled that the famine under the Soviet regime of Josef Stalin caused millions to die of starvation.
"I express the strong hope that no longer will any political order, in the name of an ideology, deny the rights of the human person and his freedom and dignity, and I assure my prayers for all the innocent victims of this tremendous tragedy," he said.
He prayed that Mary might help nations to "proceed along the way of reconciliation" and confront current problems "in mutual respect and in the sincere search for peace."
Historians disagree about the exact death toll from the famine, but many estimate that between six million and eight million people died across parts of the Soviet Union. Ukraine, the agricultural heart of the Soviet Union, was the hardest hit.
The government of Ukraine, which became independent in 1991, has condemned the famine as an act of genocide against Ukrainians and wants the United Nations to issue a similar statement. The United States and Canada are among the governments that have also recognized the famine as genocide.
Russian officials recently called the famine a "humanitarian tragedy" but have rejected accusations of genocide. Russia has accused the United States of trying to politicize the catastrophe.
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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