A regular working meeting was held in Augsburg, Germany, involving official delegates from the International Group “Reconciliation in Europe — The Task of the Churches in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Germany.” The participants discussed the effects of Russian military aggression against Ukraine, the role of the Churches in supporting those affected, and the pursuit of a just peace. The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was represented by Fr. Ihor Shaban, head of the UGCC Commission for Interconfessional and Interreligious Relations.
This was reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
The meeting was attended by representatives from the Evangelical, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Greek Catholic Churches in Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, and Germany. This group has been active since 1995 and is dedicated to fostering interchurch dialogue and reconciliation in Europe.
As part of the program, the delegates met with the leadership of the Catholic charitable foundation “Renovabis.” During a conversation with the foundation’s executive director, Dr. Thomas Schwartz, participants discussed the humanitarian consequences of the war in Ukraine, the support needed for those affected, and the role of religious organizations in safeguarding human dignity during wartime.
The group also held a separate meeting with Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg.
“We discussed the military aggression against Ukraine and the Church’s efforts to remain a voice of conscience at a time when that voice can easily be drowned out by the noise of weapons and the clamor of politics,” noted Fr. Ihor Shaban.
Participants also heard a presentation by Dr. Harutyun Harutyunyan from Armenia, who spoke about the cost of peace and the experiences of people who have endured war and loss. This presentation served as the basis for further discussions.
The central theme of the meeting was the discussion of Russian military aggression against Ukraine and the role of the Churches in the pursuit of a just peace. Delegates emphasized that supporting Ukraine is a moral obligation and that peace cannot be achieved through territorial concessions without reliable security guarantees.
Participants stressed that every day of the war poses a threat to human life, and the Churches cannot regard this reality solely through the lens of strategic interests. They issued a strong warning against the cynical use of Ukraine as a “buffer zone to contain Russia” or as a “strategic resource” for preparing other European countries for potential future conflicts.
“Participants were equally critical of discussions about a ‘rapid ceasefire’ that comes at the cost of territorial concessions without real and reliable security guarantees. For peace without justice is not true peace, but merely a postponement of further suffering,” stated Fr. Ihor Shaban.
In closing, the participants highlighted the importance of the Church as a space for support, compassion, and fraternal solidarity, where human suffering is not ignored.