The Ukrainian archbishop offers church property for hospitals amid the spread of the virus

As more cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus are registered in Ukraine, the head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church said he would lend church property as hospitals if the need arose.

During a live mass on March 22, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, referred to a photo he had seen of a doctor whose face had been injured for hours wearing a protective mask to prevent the contraction of the coronavirus.

Telling health workers that they are "at the forefront" of the global outbreak, he observed that doctors, nurses and volunteers "are giving their health and lives right now to save the health and life of the sick" .

"Your Church is with you," he said, noting that just like the 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, the Greek Catholic Church would open churches, monasteries and seminars as hospitals.

During the 2014 uprising, mass protests led to the expulsion of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych and sparked the current conflict with pro-Russian separatists in the eastern region of the country after the annexation of the Crimean peninsula by the Russia. Hundreds of people died during the protests and both Greek and Latin Catholic rites joined together to assist both the wounded and those who suffered a humanitarian crisis in the east of the country.

"If necessary, the interior space of the church will become a hospital, and together with you we will save lives," Shevchuk said, telling the doctors that "You have to teach us how to do it. We are able to learn quickly and learn well, to save the life of a person who is dying with you ".

Like many other countries, Ukraine is tightly blocking as it tries to stop the spread of coronavirus. According to Johns Hopkins, Ukraine currently has an estimated total of 156 cases with 5 deaths and one recovery.

The majority of cases in the country, 38, are located in the western region of Chernivtsi and 31 in the capital of Kiev. The wider Kiev region has 22 cases, while the rest is widespread across the country, with some scattered throughout the eastern regions of Ukraine.

In total, there are approximately 480.446 confirmed cases worldwide from Thursday morning, with 21.571 deaths and 115.850 recoveries. Italy is currently in the lead for coronavirus deaths, with 7.503 as of March 25th.

In Ukraine, restaurants, bars and shops are closed, and the government has also closed public institutions and limited transportation both inside and outside the country.

However, a handful of protesters are currently disobeying orders to demand that President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who had sworn in last year, overturned the decision to appoint representatives from the eastern regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which are at the center of the fighting, to a new advisory council charged with finding peaceful solutions to the conflict.

While the protest initially drew crowds with up to 500 people, many have since left the fear of contracting or spreading the coronavirus. About a dozen people are still camped outside the presidential office.

A longtime friend of Pope Francis from his time as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Shevchuk in his sermon urged the authorities to stop major political decisions until the end of the COVID-19 crisis.

“I appeal to our authorities on several levels. You are experiencing a difficult time today. You have to make difficult decisions, sometimes unpopular, you have to create centers for the crisis that respond quickly to new challenges, "he added, adding that" you know that your Church is with you ".

"At the same time, I urge you to declare political quarantine in Ukraine," he explained, explaining that this would mean putting off "decisions that can create social tensions". He also urged politicians not to be tempted to chase political opponents by taking advantage of quarantine measures.

“In the face of mortal danger, we leave all the things that divide us. Let's join together to serve people! "He said.

With liturgical services also suspended during the crisis, the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine has, like many others around the world, started masses live and urging the faithful to participate in liturgical and prayer campaigns through social media.

In a recent interview with Vatican News, Schevchuk said that every day at noon, local time, bishops and priests read the scriptures and pray for people's health and for the end of the coronavirus.

Echoing several statements made by Pope Francis himself, as well as a strong letter written by one of Francis' personal secretaries, Shevchuk also urged priests to stay close to the elderly and those who suffer, not being afraid to visit them to offer the sacraments .

On Wednesday 25 March, which declared a day of prayer and fasting in Ukraine, Shevchuk joined Pope Francis and many other heads of Christian churches, including Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, in praying to the Our Father at noon.

Praising the pope's ecumenical response to the outbreak of the coronavirus, he stressed that "there is no Christian who does not pray to our Father".

"Today, all Ukrainians living in Ukraine and scattered around the world prayed together as a child for Heavenly Father," he said, praying that God would have mercy on Ukraine and would "save from disease and death by moving us away from us this evil coming. "

He also encouraged members of the Greek Catholic Church to join Pope Francis in an evening prayer service on March 27, during which the pope will impart the traditional Urbi et Orbi blessing, which comes out in the city and the world.

Typically, offered only at Christmas and Easter, the blessing for those who receive it offers a plenary indulgence, which means full remission of the temporal consequences of sin. The event will be streamed on Vatican Media's Youtube channel, on Facebook and on television.