Pope considers Ukraine a source of strength in the Christian world

Pope Benedict XVI considers Ukraine a source of strength in the Christian world. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko spoke about her perception of the pontiff’s view of Ukraine during her visit to the Ostroh Academy.

According to the Prime Minister, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in a meeting with her in the Vatican called Ukraine "a cradle of Christianity, a source of strength of Christianity, which gives life, gives hope and provides inspiration."

"The Pope loves Ukraine immensely and knows it better than some politicians and even historians. He knows everything that happens in Ukraine and sees it not just as an integral part of the European community, but as the second lung of Europe," said Tymoshenko.

"He said that Europe has two lungs - western and eastern, and we are the eastern one. Until Ukraine becomes a full participant in the European Community, the European Union, Europe will only be half-breathing," added Tymoshenko.

She also said that the three encyclicals - major papal document addressed to the believers of a separate country - are devoted to the most important components of life in Ukraine.

"First is love. I think there is nothing more important: love gives birth to everything. The second is devoted to hope, as the Pope believes that genuine faith always holds hope. And the third of his encyclicals is devoted to another important element in our lives - justice. Every person needs to feel that life should be fair, and not feel discomfort and imbalance," said Tymoshenko.

"These core values are most important in life and should guide us, so that our lives are happy," added Tymoshenko.

Talking about her impressions from her visit to the Holy See, Tymoshenko said that after talking with the Pope “even those problems that at first glance seemed terrible, after returning from the Vatican seemed small and inconsequential.”