After World War II, Europe freed itself from its past through forgiveness and the reconciliation of countries, such as France and Germany, Germany and Poland or Ukraine and Poland.
Now, civil and religious leaders from Ukraine and Poland are working toward mutual forgiveness becoming a shared culture. One of the initiatives to promote this is an award for those who contribute to that process.
The leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church announced this year’s two winners at the Vatican. The first is the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
SVIATOSLAV SHEVCHUK
Major Archbishop, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
“The dicastery has embodied the idea of reconciliation between the Polish and Ukrainian people in the lives of the Churches and people of eastern Europe for the last 30 years.”
The other winner is Vatican Radio. It is being recognized for inspiring bonds of unity between people.
SVIATOSLAV SHEVCHUK
Major Archbishop, Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
“I must say that the first time I heard Pope John Paul II’s voice was on Vatican Radio. In the days of the clandestine Church, we couldn’t go to ceremonies in our churches; every Sunday, we listened on our knees to the ceremony broadcast by Vatican Radio.”
The award is a sculpture with two flowers bent over one another that grow from the same root. It encourages people to remember not only the bad things that happened in history, but also the good things, which should construct the future.
