Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk of Kyiv-Halych, of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, said that the Catholics in Ukraine feel the prayers of Christians around the world.
“We do not just believe, but feel the power of your prayer, which stops the war and is the source of our optimism (and) hope that together we will defeat evil, and peace will bless our homeland,” the archbishop said 14 September, a special day designated by European bishops as a day of prayer for Ukraine.
Noting that Latin-rite Catholics marked the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross that day, Shevchuk said: “It’s in the crucified Savior that Europe and the believing world see today crucified (in) Ukraine. His Holiness Pope Francis, whom we accompany to Kazakhstan in prayer, invites Christian believers on this day to see the wounds of the crucified Savior in the wounds of Ukraine.”
He thanked planning a day of prayer for Ukraine to Lithuanian Archbishop Gintaras Grusas of Vilnius, president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences.
European bishops repeatedly have joined Pope Francis in calling for weapons to be silenced, war to be ended, and efforts to promote peace.