Bishop in Ukraine warns of imminent bloodshed, urges Western action

Published: 2004-11-23

KIEV, Ukraine (CNS) -- A Catholic bishop in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, warned of imminent bloodshed in the dispute over Nov. 21 presidential election results and urged Western governments to react to abuses of power. "Catholics are solidly behind the national movement, praying for it in the churches and supporting it on the streets," said Auxiliary Bishop Stanislav Szyrokoradiuk of Kiev-Zhytomyr. "Although we want peace here, people can't be expected to suffer cheating. There has been a falsification, and people have a right to criticize and reject this," he said Nov. 23. The same day, an estimated 200,000 Ukrainians marched on the Ukrainian Parliament, where opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko took a presidential oath, despite being officially declared the loser in the Nov.21 presidential ballot. International observers -- including Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee -- said the election was fraudulent. Lugar called for a review of the results. In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service, Bishop Szyrokoradiuk said church members were praying for peace and justice at vigils in Kiev. He said he had met "many emotionally involved Catholics" at the opposition rally in Kiev's Independence Square.

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