On July 11, 2024, an interfaith prayer for a just peace in Ukraine was held on St. Sophia Square in Kyiv with the participation of the delegation of the European Movement for Nonviolent Action (MEAN) from Italy, representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, the Apostolic Nunciature in Ukraine, the NGO Congress of Self-Government of Ukraine, the Institute for Religious Freedom and other non-governmental organizations.
This was reported by the Institute for Religious Freedom on July 15.
Hundreds of people from 25 locations in different cities of Italy, including Rome, Milan, Turin, Palermo, Perugia, and other cities, joined the interfaith event in the capital of Ukraine via an online teleconference.
The event's participants emphasized that Russian aggression against Ukraine became possible because, for a time, Ukraine was on its own without proper support. They also noted the importance of being united with the Ukrainian people and supporting Ukraine.
Representatives of various churches and religious organizations in Ukraine and Italy prayed for victory and a just peace in Ukraine, as well as for the return of Ukrainian children, civilians and soldiers from Russian captivity.
At the end of the event, the participants held hands and created a symbolic "human chain" between Ukraine and Europe.
The interfaith prayer was attended by Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine Visvaldas Kulbokas, representatives of the MEAN movement (Italy), Bishop Ephraim (Khomyak) of Vasylkiv (OCU), Bishop Oleksandr Yazlovetsky of the Roman Catholic Church, Head of the Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Markos Ohanesian, First Deputy Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Church of Evangelical Christians Vitaliy Yatsiuk, Fr. Vitaliy Khrabatyn (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church) and representatives of the Ukrainian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church, the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of Ukraine and the Spiritual Directorate of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The Abbot of the Montecasino Monastery, Cardinal Eduardo Minichielli, the Abbot of Montevergine, and other representatives of the MEAN movement joined in the prayer online.
It should be noted that this is the second visit of this movement's delegation to Ukraine. The first visit took place in October last year.