The 65th anniversary of the tragedy of Babyn Yar, where thousands of Ukrainian Jews were massacred during the World War II, was celebrated in Kiev in recent days. “It’s a tragedy that ought to be a warning, especially for the younger generations, to renounce any form of violence and respect human dignity”, declares Benedict XVI in a telegram sent to Ukrainian President Victor Yuschenko to mark the occasion. Many international delegations took part in the ceremony. In recent days, too, the Roman Catholic bishop Stanislav Shyrokoraduk received from Father Simone Fioraso, superior of the basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, some relics of the Cross that will be placed in the parish church of the “Exaltation of the Holy Cross” in Kiev.
