«We will help Ukrainians as much as necessary»: Michael Landau, president of Caritas Europe
On Saturday, January 28, a delegation of Caritas Europe led by its president Michael Landau and the future director of international cooperation and humanitarian director Jean-Yves Terlinden arrived to visit Irpin, Bucha and the surrounding villages. Monsignor Landau, together with Jean-Yves Terlinden, for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, saw with their own eyes the destruction of Irpinski Lypki, visited the local cemetery, took part in the liturgy in the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin in Irpin, and honored the memory of the dead at the mass burial site in Bucha.
The delegation of Caritas Europe also visited the surrounding villages of Moshchun and Rakivka, where Caritas-Spes Ukraine is rehabilitating households damaged during the war. Monsignor Landau talked to the local residents, listened to their stories of pain and asked a lot about urgent needs.
During his visit, the President of Caritas Europe addressed a message of solidarity to all Ukrainians: «There are many people in the world who are with you in prayers. Caritas Europe and Caritas Internationalis support the Ukrainian people. We listen to our partners in Ukraine, they know better what people need. And the message we received from you here, we will bring to Europe and other parts of the world.»
«I would like to add that the last word is not death, but life. We see suffering, but also hope. We see that people are confident in a good future. The participation of Caritas in helping the civilian population of Ukraine will continue as long as it is needed,» Monsignor Landau emphasized.
In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 20 million euros have come from Caritas Europe to help Ukrainians affected by the war. Thanks to the Caritas Confederation, the Caritas-Spes Ukraine Mission has helped about 2 million people, providing more than three million services, including in-kind donations, cash assistance, food, water, heating kits, housing repairs and psychological assistance. Currently, the Caritas-Spes Ukraine Mission implements programs through 50 centers, reaching 15,000 settlements in 23 regions of Ukraine.
«Over the past year, we have received many signs of support from our international partners, from the entire Caritas family. The arrival of the President of Caritas Europe is an important sign for us, which reflects the care we have received, as well as the care we will receive in the future. This is primarily a sign that we are not alone. This is what is needed by the people for whom we are responsible, » commented the visit of Monsignor Landau, CEO of Caritas-Space Ukraine, Father Vyacheslav Hrynevych SAC.
Caritas Europe is a Catholic network of Caritas organizations on the European continent that works with people of all faiths to end poverty and uphold the dignity of all people. It is part of the global network of Caritas Internationalis, which has more than 160 members worldwide.
Monsignor Michael Landau has been the Director of Caritas in the Archdiocese of Vienna since 1995. Since 2013, he has also been the president of Caritas Austria, and since 2020 he is the acting president of Caritas Europe. Since the beginning of his work at Caritas, Monsignor Landau has focused on sensitive social issues and on the people who rely on the work of Caritas.
Photo: Roman Malko
