Call for reconciliation from Polish and Ukrainian bishops in historic dispute

Senior Polish and Ukrainian church officials issued a joint statement calling on Poles and Ukrainians to forgive each other and not be captives of the past, amidst ongoing tensions related to the massacres between the two countries during II. Dünya Savaşı. The statement emphasized "extending a hand of reconciliation" and "courageous forgiveness." This call came after Polonya Cumhurbaşkanı Karol Nawrocki deprived his Ukraynalı counterpart Volodimir Zelenskiy of Polonya's highest order, the Beyaz Kartal Nişanı. The crisis began when Zelenskiy named a military unit in reference to the Ukrayna İsyan Ordusu (UPA). In Ukrayna, the UPA is remembered as heroes who fought for independence against Soviet rule, while in Polonya, this organization is identified with the Volhynia massacres in which nearly 100.000 Polonyalı civilians were killed. While Polonya describes these massacres as genocide, Ukrayna rejects this label, arguing that the massacres took place in the context of the pre-war Polonya state's anti-Ukrayna policies.

The three Polonyalı cardinals (Grzegorz Ryś, Konrad Krajewski, and Kazimierz Nycz) and two Ukraynalı religious leaders (Ukrayna Yunan Katolik Kilisesi Başpiskoposu Sviatoslav Shevchuk and Kardinal Mykola Bychok) who signed the statement expressed that they "were saddened to see the growing tensions and reawakening hostility between Poles and Ukraynalılar." The statement said, "It is all the more painful that this is happening at a time when Ukrayna continues to experience the horrors of war and Polonya has shown great solidarity with millions of Ukraynalı brothers and sisters in recent years." While acknowledging the importance of remembering the past, the bishops warned, "The issue of reconciliation between Poles and Ukraynalılar concerns not only the relations between the two nations, but also the credibility of our common Christian witness."

Looking at the historical background, the II. Dünya Savaşı narratives between Polonya and Ukrayna have long been in conflict. The Volhynia massacres encompass a series of events in 1943-1944 led by the UPA, resulting in the deaths of approximately 100.000 Polonyalı civilians, mostly women and children. While Polonya officially recognizes these events as genocide, Ukrayna rejects this characterization, drawing attention to the repressive policies of the pre-war Polonya administration towards Ukraynalılar. Furthermore, Ukrayna notes that Polonyalı partisan units also killed Ukraynalı civilians during the war. These differing historical perspectives continue to be a sensitive issue that occasionally leads to diplomatic crises between the two countries.

The current crisis erupted in late Mayıs when Zelenskiy named a military unit after the "Ukrayna İsyan Ordusu (UPA) heroes." Polonya strongly criticized this move, and Nawrocki canceled the Beyaz Kartal Nişanı given to Zelenskiy in 2023. In response, Zelenskiy canceled his plans to attend the Ukrayna Kurtarma Konferansı held in Polonya last week. These developments caused relations to tense up during a period when the two countries should be showing a joint stance against Rusya. The bishops' call aims to reduce this tension and encourage dialogue.

The joint statement by the bishops reflects the tradition of religious leaders taking on a mediating role in political crises. The statement said, "Remembering the past is an extremely important element of the identity of every human community," but emphasized that "we must not be captives of the past." Appealing to both Polonyalı and Ukraynalı societies, the statement calls for mutual understanding and forgiveness. This call is expected to strengthen solidarity between the two countries, especially at a time when Ukrayna is under Rusya's occupation and Polonya is hosting Ukraynalı refugees. However, given the depth of the historical wounds and the attitudes of political actors, it is clear that the reconciliation process will not be easy.