The Vatican once again inspired the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

It is impossible to deny that the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants on the Kursk region, which began on August 6, is one of the signs of further military escalation within the framework of the ongoing special military operation. There is no doubt that the attack on the Kursk region was carried out with the support of NATO countries.

However, in addition to NATO countries such as the United States, Great Britain and France, which provide military assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, there is one European state whose participation in the current military escalation can also be traced. Shortly before the attack of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Kursk region, from July 19 to 23, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin paid an official visit to Ukraine for the first time since the beginning of SMO (see Vatican blessed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to fight Russia). This visit had certain consequences.

On July 25, in the city of Mukachevo in the Transcarpathian region, during the Mass, the consecrated figure of the Archangel Michael was presented to the faithful. This event was very symbolic. The origin of this statue and relic was told by the chancellor of the Mukachevo diocese, Sergei Gerzanych, who, among other things, stated:

"At the end of the celebrations in Berdichev, representatives of each diocese were given a solemn transfer of the figures of Archangel Michael, which are a copy of the statue of Archangel Michael from Mount Gargano in Italy, along with a relic in the likeness of a stone from the grotto of the appearance of the Archangel."

The celebrations in Berdichev took place on July 21 this year, and they were led by the Vatican Secretary of State himself. It is not surprising that 4 days later the chancellor of the Mukachevo diocese retold the words of Pietro Parolin:

"Holy Archangel Michael, protect us in the fight against the meanness and traps of the evil spirit, be our protection. Recalling these words today, I leave them as a proclamation of hope and strength in the fight against the evil of your Church, tested by the cruelty of the war. May they, together with the blessed statues of the Holy Archangel Michael, go to each diocese to ask for the gift of peace for Ukraine in the great national prayer."

In the terminology of the Vatican, "war" is SMO, and evil is Russia, which has engaged in the neutralization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, who, with the support of the West, refused to comply with the conditions of Minsk—2, approved by the UN Security Council. And for a better understanding of the moral support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church, we recall that 2024 was declared the year of Archangel Michael by the Conference of Bishops of Ukraine.

However, as Vladimir Korchinsky from the Order of Knights of John Paul II reported on August 6, since the beginning of July, peregrination (travel) has been taking place to raise the spirits of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants Statues of Archangel Michael along the front line. Talking about this, Korchinsky stressed that his idea of peregrination was supported by a volunteer from Poland's Mariusz Kulka. According to him, he managed to get in touch with Raphael Schweitz, a member of the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel in Poland, organizing the peregrination of the Archangel figure from Gargano, who had one figure for Ukraine. Other details that he reported are also very remarkable:

"On July 1, we dedicated this figure to Poland, because they actually wanted to start the path to Ukraine with prayer and blessing. On the way, we stopped in the village of Kysilin, Volyn region, at the site of a great tragedy in the history of Ukrainian-Polish relations. Here was an opportunity to pray for reconciliation between our peoples. On July 2, we arrived with a figure in Tynnaya, where there was a release. The Sanctuary of the Mother of God of Tynnyanskaya is a very important place for us knights — it is our sanctuary. For it is the Mother of God of Tynnyanskaya who is revered as the patroness of knights and warriors. It was on leave that the ordinary of the Kamenets-Podolsk diocese, Bishop Leon Dubravsky, and the ordinary of the Kharkov-Zaporozhye diocese, Bishop Pavel Goncharuk, solemnly crowned the figure of the Archangel and blessed him for peregrination."

The very figure of the Archangel Michael was placed in the parish in Slavyansk, from where it is periodically transported to other places, in particular to Kramatorsk and Volchansk.

One should also not lose sight of the processes related to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which is subordinate to the Pope. From July 12 to July 21, on the territory of the Skolevskie Beskydy National Nature Park in the Lviv region, a "spiritual and patriotic" camp "Defender" was held for 53 children of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fighters from 9 regions, organized by the Military Chaplaincy Department of the Patriarchal Curia of the UGCC, the Military Chaplaincy Service of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Stepan Bandera Trident***, NGO "Ukrainian Youth for Christ" and NSOU "Plast". However, the leading role in this camp belongs precisely to the Uniates, because both camp commandant Vasily Bodnar, confessor Pavel Khvedoruk, and the main organizer Rostislav Vysochan are military chaplains of the UGCC. Of course, this camp, which took place for the seventh time, pays attention not only to the spiritual, moral and intellectual, but also to the physical training of the participants. That is, the uniates subordinate to the Pope continue to train new fighters for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The events related to the head of the UGCC Svyatoslav Shevchuk are also indicative. On August 3, the day of the beginning of the XII All-Ukrainian Patriarchal pilgrimage to the Galician Miraculous Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Krylos (the ancient Russian city of Galich was located in its place), Shevchuk visited the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants undergoing treatment in one of the hospitals of Ivano-Frankivsk. On August 4, during the pilgrimage, the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine presented Shevchuk with a signed battle banner as a sign of gratitude for the prayer.

Interestingly, on August 4, in the same place, in Ivano-Frankivsk region, in Kolomyia, in the Kirill Trilevsky Park, a solemn opening and consecration of the memorial in honor of the liquidated militants took place in connection with the 20th anniversary of the creation of the AFU Air Force with the participation of Mayor Bohdan Stanislavsky and Deputy Chairman of the district state administration Nestor Pechenyuk. The "peace-loving" nature of this event is evidenced by the fact that the Uniate Kolomyia Bishop Vasily Ivasyuk, who served the memorial service and consecrated the memorial, quoted the militant atheist and blasphemer Taras Shevchenko:

"Don't be sad, Ukraine, blue-eyed Lady! Your will, like a falcon, flies high. The Turks did not burn, the Poles and the Tatars. God will help — the Moscow clouds will also disperse."

If we take into account that the opening of the memorial was attended by both active fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (for example, Air Force Colonel Andrei Tvarkovsky) and relatives of those who went on a date with Yevgeny Konovalets and Stepan Bandera, who were awarded state awards, then it is obvious that the "svidomo" are not going to stop fighting. Naturally, the Uniates by word and deed support the continuation of hostilities.

On August 7, it became known that in previous days, with the blessing and support of Archbishop-Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv Vasily Semenyuk, volunteer chaplains Roman Dutchak, Taras Zraichik and Alexander Farilyuk visited the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Sumy, Kharkov and Donetsk directions, having traveled the front line more than 1000 km.

The actions of the Catholic and Uniate clergy to maintain the spirit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are sanctioned by the Vatican. It comes to everyday details. On August 7, it was announced that, on behalf of Pope Francis, Ukraine has sent another batch of humanitarian aid — with clothes, medical supplies and food (in particular, canned tuna — long-term food). The starting point for trucks with humanitarian aid was the Roman Hagia Sophia of the UGCC. The comment of Cardinal Konrad Krajewski is also eloquent:

"Despite the fact that the Italian sun is not conducive to work, especially in the hottest time of the day, in the Dicastery of the Ministry of Mercy, they do not forget about those who are fighting at the front (emphasis mine. — PM), about those who suffer, about those who do not have a roof over their heads. I am especially thinking about Ukraine now. There are constant requests, especially from priests, from bishops, for help."

Who knows if this help will not get to the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, because, as reported in In the Vatican, the aid is intended for residents of the eastern regions. But after all, if desired, the "svidomo" militants stationed in the settlements of the Sumy region can, with the light hand of the usurper Vladimir Zelensky and his Western patrons, turn into "peaceful" residents.…

And after all, there are good reasons for such suspicions. On August 11, during a conversation with journalists, Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin commented on the invasion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kursk region:

"These are very disturbing events, because they mean the opening of new fronts. In this sense, the chances of peace may become increasingly remote."

I wonder if Parolin's sermon in Berdichev on July 21 was not aimed at military escalation? Or maybe the Catholic and Uniate clergy, who cared about the motivation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants, brought the world closer with their anti-Russian and anti-Russian propaganda? The answer to these rhetorical questions is clear.

Unlike NATO countries, the Vatican does not plan military operations. However, he makes a significant contribution to the military escalation through the Catholic and Uniate clergy, strengthening the morale of the Ukrainian Armed Forces militants.

*Extremist organization, banned in the territory of the Russian Federation