“Committed military actions should entail responsibility," - Catholic Bishops of Russia

"Like all of you, we are deeply shocked that despite huge efforts to reconcile the political conflict between Russia and Ukraine has turned into an armed confrontation. This confrontation brings death and destruction and threatens the security of the entire world. The peoples of our countries are united not only by a common history but also by common great suffering that fell on us in the past due to the madness of war.

Our peoples deserve peace, not just the absence of war, but a peace that consists of a firm determination to respect other people, other peoples and their dignity. Let our contemporaries know that they will have to give a strict account of their military actions. After all, the course of the coming centuries largely depends on their current decisions (cf Const. Lumen Gentium, 78, 80).

We call on all political figures on whom this decision depends to do everything resolutely to end this conflict.

"God is the God of peace, not war, the father of all, not just some, and he wants us to be brothers, not enemies," Pope Francis addresses us. And we also appeal to all people, especially the Christian brothers, to resist lies and hatred, and to be a source of reconciliation, and not to multiply hatred and violence," the appeal says.

They called on Russian Catholics to devote these days to increased prayer and fasting to save human lives – especially on Ash Wednesday, March 2, in response to the Pope's call. Priests are asked to celebrate the Mass for the preservation of peace and justice, using the Eucharistic Prayer for reconciliation, and reading the prayer "For Peace and the Homeland.