In relations between Poles and Ukrainians inactive bleeds an untangible Volyn wound. And the closeness of our nations caused by war and mass migration, alternatively of starting the operation of this wound, brought... Pretending that she doesn't exist. But that is not how Christian problems are handled. The author of these words knows what he says – he is simply a grandson of the survivor of Volyn.
People sin – it is obvious. Sometimes in a cruel way they sin and all human masses, nations. The Volyn crime remains an example of a sin that is highly inhuman, an example of savagery, possibly even group possession.
As Poles, we are the only ones who have the right to forgive the sin committed against us. We can do this as a nation (although it will be highly hard to enforce it), our representatives can declare it – that is, the Polish authorities; they can besides do it on our behalf bishops.
Both Poles and Ukrainians are Christians who know teaching about the conditions of good confession. For the sake of order, however, these include: the examination of conscience, the grief for sins, the firm determination to improve, the sincere confession of guilt and the reparation of the Lord God and neighbor.
Did the guilty of crimes of eighty years ago (their descendants or laymen or clergymen) meet any of these conditions? Is pretending that nothing happened then, or lying, that Poles in Volyn died due to the continued regular Polish-Ukrainian war, gathering the condition of an examination of conscience or regret for sins? Or an honest confession? Is the glorification of the banders, the pursuit of beatification of the clergy blessing the axes of Poles gathering the condition of strong improvement? Can the deficiency of places to commemorate the victims, the deficiency of cemeteries, even the deficiency of symbolic attempts to return them to posterity, meet the condition of making amends to God and fellow humans?
In the discussion about Volyn – if any – compares to 1965 and the celebrated message of Polish bishops to German: We forgive and ask forgiveness. Those who wave their hand at the victims ask if we can forgive the Ukrainians after eighty years, since we were able to forgive the Germans after 20 years. But it's a Pharisee approach to the case. The Germans did not mention to Nazism in the 1960s, they did not name the streets and squares named Goeringa, they did not place monuments to Hitler, they did not deny crimes committed on behalf of their people. Moreover, public trials of the Nazis took place and many of them were reasonably punished. And the full planet found out about their crimes and condemned it. Thousands of films were shot about her so that she would never repeat herself.
And the Ukrainians? They inactive worship banders, frequently negate or relativize their own crimes, for decades did not celebrate the murdered, blocked attempts to build their cemeteries.
We frequently hear that our east brothers are searching for their identity today, and for decades they have been taught in the USSR that UPA was simply an anti-Nazi organization fighting Germany. And they don't know anything about Volyn. But is 30 years of independency adequate to tell their nation the truth?
President Aleksander Kwasniewski was able to apologize on behalf of Poles for the crime in Jedwabne (sic!), which Poles most likely did not commit – it was a typical political gesture, but besides to educate society in the way that the post-communist president wished. So if he was able to apologize by preaching untruth, could the Ukrainian leaders not make specified gestures towards Poles, based on real events? Isn't that how you educate mass?
The war and the Christian attitude of Poles towards refugees from Ukraine should be the minute erstwhile relations between our peoples will begin to be based on Christian principles again. After all, we have shown that we are ready for an unparalleled forgiveness—as Jesus urged us to do this seventy-seven times. But the Christian attitude must show both sides of this hard relation – for any grant absolution, but others ask for it.
And then we can go into the planet together and tell him about that crime – just as Jews tell about their harms. Then, together with the brothers from the east, we can establish and publicize awards, even for “The Righteous among the Ukrainians of Volyn”, compose books about them or make films. Only then.
Krystian Kratiuk
The article was published in 93. ‘POLONIA CHRISTIANA’ MAGSIN NUMBER
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