UCCRO representatives call for solidarity with Ukraine at global interfaith meeting
This was reported by the UGCC Department for Information.
Religious communities in Ukraine have called on the world to help establish a just peace and bring an end to the ongoing war. An interfaith online meeting provided a platform to unite people of all faiths, ages, and backgrounds around the globe in a shared expression of solidarity with Ukraine.
The meeting was moderated by Fr. Oleksa Petriv, head of the Department of External Relations of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), and Jeff Fontaine, director of the Robert Schuman Center for European Studies in Amsterdam. Approximately 100 people participated in the discussion.
Fr. Oleksa Petriv shared an appeal from the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations, urging "believers in democratic countries and all people of goodwill to unite in the name of truth and justice. We must use all available means to end this terrible war and ensure that the aggressor's criminal actions are appropriately addressed, as required by law."
Fr. Petriv expressed his gratitude to all participants for their involvement in the video conference, stating, "This event, which brought together believers from around the world, has once again demonstrated that we, Ukrainians, are not alone in the face of an existential threat. We have behind us a powerful force of believers and conscientious individuals from all over the world — people who refuse to compromise their principles for temporary gains and who openly confront the truth."
He emphasized that "the civilized world of believers has clearly stated that silence in the face of evil equates to complicity. This message is especially significant as we seek to counter false equivalences that portray the aggressor and the victim as equal. We pray and hope that this event will inspire a new wave of meaningful action by believers worldwide."
Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Visvaldas Kulbokas, greeted the participants and expressed his hope for future meetings, noting that “these gatherings demonstrate our commitment to peace, signifying the side we choose — peace or war.”
Metropolitan Yevstratiy Zoria of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Anatoliy Rachynets of the Ukrainian Bible Society, and Bishop Vitalii Kryvytskyi of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine also shared their testimonies regarding Russia's unjust war against Ukraine. They discussed the underlying Russian ideology, the justification for the war, and the repression of various denominations and religions in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and in Russia itself.
Afterward, an interfaith declaration titled "A Call to Conscience and Solidarity with the People of Ukraine" was read and supported by the attendees.
Fr. Oleksa Petriv remarked that “the declaration, which was discussed and adopted at the meeting, exemplifies the public response that believers should have to the horror and lawlessness being committed by the Russian Federation against Ukraine.”
Jeff Fontaine added that European religious organizations will work on developing an action plan to support and show solidarity with Ukraine, emphasizing that “prayer is vital as it acknowledges the existence of a higher power that surpasses all institutions.”
The event concluded with a joint prayer recited by Fr. Oleksa Petriv.
