For the duration of the forty days of Lent, bishops from Europe and other members of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), which consists of 39 members, will take turns praying for peace in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and around the world.
This was reported by Vatican Radio.
This year, from Ash Wednesday through Lent, the Church in Europe will focus on prayers for peace. This initiative involves all members of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE) and requires each episcopal conference to organize at least one Holy Mass or Divine Liturgy. The intention is to pray for the victims of war and to ask the Lord for “unarmed and disarming peace” in Ukraine, the Holy Land, and around the world.
This Lenten initiative, called the Eucharistic Chain, began during the pandemic and has become a permanent prayer event for the continent's episcopal conferences. It aims to foster a sense of communion and serve as a visible sign of hope for all of Europe.
The Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe has prepared a corresponding calendar for this initiative. The Church in Albania will kick off the prayer relay on Ash Wednesday, February 18. Ukraine is represented in the CCEE by three members, with the Greek Catholic Diocese of Mukachevo being the first to join the prayer relay on March 13. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is scheduled to participate in the initiative on March 31, followed by the Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops of Ukraine on April 1.