CWN - Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York has expressed strong support for anti-government protestors in Ukraine.

“Last August, I was honored to be part of the dedication of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church’s Resurrection Cathedral, in Kiev, and was in awe at the youth and vitality of a Church that had been starved, jackbooted, imprisoned, tortured, persecuted and martyred by Hitler, Stalin, and company,” he wrote on his blog. “With thousands of others, I praised God for an apparent new springtime where Democracy, human rights, and religious freedom were in bloom in Ukraine.”

“Those high summer hopes have now turned as cold as this New York winter day. What began as inspirational, prayerful, peaceful, powerful protest, dubbed the Euro Maiden Movement, characterized by prayer and song led by Jewish, Orthodox, and Catholic clergy, has turned brutal and nasty, with government thugs relishing the chance to bludgeon and harass the hundreds of thousands of patriotic Ukrainians, and oppressive laws quickly passed to suppress freedoms,” he continued.

“We Catholics in the United States cannot let these brave Ukrainians, whose allegiance to their religious convictions has survived ‘dungeon, fire, and sword,’ languish,” he added. “They deserve our voices and our prayers. Nor can we as American citizens fail them, as we call for our government to stand with them.”

Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Paul Chomnycky of Stamford (Connecticut) welcomed Cardinal Dolan’s comments. “I thank you for your moral and prayerful support for our Church and the people of Ukraine,” he said on the comment section of the cardinal’s blog. “I am confident that with God’s help and the prayers and resolute action of good people throughout the world, we will live through these dark days and see a better tomorrow.”