The Parish Magazine February 2023

feature — 1
Official portrait of Justin Welby, The Lord
Archbishop of Canterbury
by Roger Harris, Wikipedia
THE WAR IN UKRAINE
'The gates of hell'
This past year, we came together
to mourn and celebrate, Her Late
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. I met
many people from all over the world
who queued to pay their respects.
People looked out for each other day
and night.
It’s one thing to do that for a few
hours, another when we need to give
or receive care day after day. Then we
all need help.
Like many I rejoice that elderly
relatives like my mother are still
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has 'opened the gates of hell' and unleashed
evil around the world, said the Archbishop of Canterbury during an interview
on BBC1’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg.
He told of how, during a visit to Ukraine, he had seen the mass grave in Bucha,
and heard of the massacres and torture carried out by the occupying Russian
forces. The Russians are driven by 'an ideology of conquest' he said, their only goal
is 'getting historic Ukraine back.'
Justin Welby said it was important for Britain to continue to support
Ukrainian resistance, and to recognise that 'you can’t talk about reconciliation when
the guns are firing, because people are just concentrating on whether they’re alive for
the next 20 minutes.' He said how the Ukrainians had told him that 'for us, that
word (reconciliation) means surrender, and we’re not going to do that’. There was a way
forward, said the Archbishop: 'and that’s withdrawal and ceasefire by Russian forces.'
Ukraine — one year on . . .
24 February is the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, which has seen
nearly 8 million people displaced and thousands killed. The Office of the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) verified
a total of 6,826 civilian deaths during Russia's invasion of Ukraine as of
December 18, 2022. Of them, 428 were children and 10,769 people were
reported to have been injured.
This winter is the worst in living memory for most Ukrainians, with medicine,
food, water, and heating in short supply. If you would like to mark the first year
by helping the people in Ukraine, here are some of the charities working at the
front line of the war:
The Disaster Emergencies Committee (DEC) is an umbrella group of UK charities.
https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal
Christian Aid, founded by British and Irish churches to help refugees after WWII:
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/emergencies/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal-2022
Barnabas Fund works through local churches in poor areas, and has, for example,
provided wood burning stoves for more than 1,000 families.
https://www.barnabasfund.org/gb/latest-needs/help-ukrainian-christians-in-their-hour-ofneed/
Samaritans Purse has been airlifting medical supplies into Ukraine and has
distributed more than 45 million kilos of food, and built water systems providing
more than 30 million litres of water.
https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/idr-crisis/crisis-in-ukraine/
The Parish Magazine - February 2023 19
Caring for each other
The full text of the Lord Archbishop's New Year's Message on 1 January 2023
around. Their memories, their
presence, their independence, are
precious. Caring for them, loving
them, is a privilege after what we
have received from them.
Whitstable, in the Diocese of
Canterbury which I serve, is a
wonderful town. Like many coastal
areas it has a high proportion of
elderly people. People here — like
everywhere — are dealing with
rising costs.
Care homes are struggling too.
Bills have risen; hiring and keeping
staff is a challenge.
Why work as a carer when
you might get paid more in less
demanding jobs?
ACTION
Caring’s not easy. Good carers are
wonderful people to be valued.
Like Anne: who has worked as a
carer for over 42 years.
We know our care system is
broken: but it doesn’t have to be. We
can rise to the challenge of fixing it.
That means action from all of us;
you, me, families, communities and
government.
LOVE ALONE
In a few weeks’ time, the
Archbishop of York and I will publish
a significant report on social care.
It will offer a hopeful vision of our
society. One where no one is held
back, over-looked or treated as a
burden — where families and unpaid
carers get support too.
Caring goes to the heart of what it
means to be human. It’s hard, but it
can also be the most life-giving thing
we ever do.
It comes back to that essential
lesson: we need each other.
Jesus reminds us of the value of
every single person, young or old. He
challenges me to love everyone as I
know he loves me.
For love alone, Jesus came into
our difficult world.
I pray that in the hard times and
the good, you find yourself loved and
cared for.
And I wish you all a very Happy
New Year.