Archbishop Kulbokas after cathedral bombing: 'I feared this would happen, but I think of the victims. They no longer make news.'

Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, the Pope's apostolic nuncio to Ukraine, voiced profound grief over the ongoing civilian casualties in the country, lamenting that the deaths of innocent people have become a normalized tragedy.

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And as a priest and bishop, I am much more saddened by the five deaths tonight, the umpteenth innocent victims who no longer even make the news.

"But here in Ukraine we have been living in war for four and a half years," Kulbokas said. "And as a priest and bishop, I am much more saddened by the five deaths tonight, the umpteenth innocent victims who no longer even make the news."

He described the recent bombing of the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv as dramatic, acknowledging its significance as a symbol. However, he stressed that the church's focus remains on the human cost of the war. "The war spares nothing anymore," he stated, noting that 30% of civilian homes and 15% of embassies have been hit since the conflict began.

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The war spares nothing anymore.

Kulbokas explained that while damage to cultural heritage sites like the UNESCO-listed monastery is regrettable, the suffering of individuals is paramount. "As the Catholic Church, I cannot but give priority to people, to the mourning of their families, to the pain of the people," he said. He also noted that Catholics are a minority in Ukraine, concentrated mainly in the western regions.

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As the Catholic Church, I cannot but give priority to people, to the mourning of their families, to the pain of the people.