Meeting in London, today, 4 March 2022, the Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland have appealed to Catholics to ‘sustain the prayer and self-denial of Lent as a constant offering to God, begging for and end to the pointless violence in Ukraine’.
They ask fellow Christians everywhere, including Patriarch Kirill and all in the Russian Orthodox Church to join in solidarity ‘in daily spiritual and practical efforts for a ceasefire, for humanitarian outreach and the silencing and laying down of weapons.’
They also call on the UK and Irish governments to ‘offer an open and generous welcome’ to Ukrainians seeking refuge from the violence.
In their statement they write:
‘In the face of the shocking loss of life, bloodshed, displacement of people and destruction of property in Ukraine, we make these heartfelt appeals.
‘We ask our Catholic communities to sustain the prayer and self-denial of Lent as a constant offering to God, begging for an end to this pointless violence.
‘We ask our fellow Christians everywhere, including Patriarch Kirill and all in the Russian Orthodox Church, to join in solidarity with us in daily spiritual and practical efforts for a ceasefire, for humanitarian outreach and the silencing and laying down of weapons.
‘We ask all who have an instinct for God to raise their hearts and minds in prayer for peace.
‘We urge everyone to open their hearts and respond generously to the many appeals for help and support for all who are fleeing their homeland. We call on the UK and Irish governments to offer an open and generous welcome to those who seek refuge in the face of this warfare.’
