European Catholic bishops have expressed support for Ukraine and asked Christians to pray for peace.
“At this extremely delicate time, we ask Christians to pray for the gift of peace in Ukraine so that those responsible may be filled with, and radiate, a peace that is ‘contagious’ and that the crisis will be overcome exclusively through dialogue,” a Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) communique said.
“While the entire international community interprets the actions of the Russian military forces as a real threat to peace throughout the world, we embrace — in this time of fear and uncertainty for the future of the country — our brothers and sisters in the faith and all the people of Ukraine,” said Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, the president of the CCEE, issued the statement on behalf of the council on 21 January. The CCEE expressed its solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
The bishops’ statement called on the international community to “offer its support to the country in the face of the danger of a Russian military offensive.”
“We also, as shepherds of the European continent, want to appeal to the leaders of the nations so that they do not forget the tragic world wars of the last century and so that international law, as well as the independence and territorial sovereignty of each country, will be defended,” Grušas said.
“Together with the Holy Father, we want to call on governments to find ‘acceptable and lasting solutions’ in Ukraine based on dialogue and negotiation and without resorting to arms,” the bishops’ statement said.
Ukraine, which has a population of 44 million people, is the second-largest country by area in Europe after Russia.