Of the many things my dad passed on to his children, a reverence for our Ukrainian identity and the strong faith and spirituality that it nurtured in us is his greatest legacy.
Ukraine
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
The defense industry will profit from war in Ukraine—with your money
When war erupts, the weapons industry benefits from the fears that motivate politicians to budget more money for the military—and investors to sink more capital into armaments.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
The Plight of Ukraine’s Women
“As we celebrate the strength of women around the world, we’re also seeing women struggle in such heartbreaking ways, trying to keep their families safe…serving the youngest and most vulnerable.”
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
We have a moral duty to protect Ukrainian civilians—but that doesn’t mean going to war with Russia
Does the “responsibility to protect” doctrine call for Western action in Ukraine? Perhaps not through military intervention, but certainly in efforts toward recovery, reconstruction and reconciliation.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
The war in Ukraine is exposing America’s crisis of democracy
The United States should not abandon a foreign policy that promotes free self-determination around the globe. But people who have lost faith in democracy at home may be on to something.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
‘Rivers of blood and tears are flowing in Ukraine,’ Pope Francis says. The war must end now.
Pope Francis called for a stop to the armed attacks in Ukraine, and for negotiations and good sense to prevail.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
I considered myself a pacifist. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and I had some questions.
How do you reconcile Jesus’ message of peace with the bloodshed of the war in Ukraine? Catholic anti-violence activists weigh in.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Short Take
It’s time for the bishops to speak up again about the threat of nuclear war
In 1982, the U.S. bishops released a pastoral letter calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The Ukraine crisis underscores the need for a new statement on the madness of such weapons.
Posted inFaith, Lent Reflections
God always keeps his promises. What does that mean for the people of Ukraine?
A Reflection for the Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
A Ukrainian Jesuit prepares for an unplanned homecoming
Last week he was a doctoral student at Santa Clara University. This week he is helping to lead a Jesuit humanitarian offensive over the phone. Tomorrow he will be in Poland leading that relief effort in person.