Day of Remembrance of fallen Afghan soldiers: Wars and losses are ongoing. The Church prays for the victims, – UOC

On February 15, nearly 30 years after the Afghan war, the UOC serves a litany for the repose of the Orthodox Christians who, doing their military duty, remained loyal to their oath, said the rector of the capital’s Holy Resurrection Church in memory of victims and veterans of Afghanistan, Archpriest Sergiy Yuschik in an interview prepared by the UOC Information Centre for the ICTV Facts site.

"Once again, on this day we received the order of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufriy of prayerful commemoration of Orthodox Christians who fell in the Afghan war," said Archpriest Sergiy Yuschik.
He said that nearly 30 years after the Afghan war, Afghan veterans have died more than were killed during the military actions themselves. "Therefore, on this day, especially in our church, we always serve a litany for Orthodox Christians who, performing their duty and being loyal to their military oath, did not survive – fell on the battlefield or died in the post-war time."

"Unfortunately, wars are ongoing. It would be very nice if we just talked about the withdrawal of the last soldier from Afghanistan. But now again we have combat losses, and thus an Orthodox church, in the words of Christ, must be a house of prayer rather than a house of political analysis or some historical research," says the priest.

"Accordingly, in our church, as in every Orthodox church, we pray for the Orthodox Christians, who could not survive, fell in love, enjoy their children, enjoy their love and please their parents. We lift a special prayer to the good Lord to take in the Kingdom of Heaven the souls of soldiers who gave their lives for the homeland, and all the innocent victims, and this prayer in our church is always offered," he stressed.

Archpriest Sergiy Yuschik recalled that the Holy Resurrection Church in memory of victims and veterans of Afghanistan, located near the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, was opened in early 90-s by the efforts of the Committee of mothers of fallen Afghan soldiers and the Ukrainian Union of Afghan veterans, as a place of prayerful remembrance of the fallen fellows.

Later, in front of this church, the main monument to Afghan war soldiers was built. On February 15, soldiers fallen in military operations outside the Motherland are honored at the state level.