Christians across the world join in prayer for Ukraine

Believers attend a liturgy at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv, Ukraine 

By Lisa Zengarini

Jan 27 2022

Answering Pope Francis’ appeal for Christians to mark Wednesday as a special day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, the World Council of Churches joins in pleading for dialogue instead of threats.

As the threat of Russian troops invading Ukraine continues to rise, Catholics around the world are joining in prayer for peace in the Eastern European country on Wednesday. The special day of prayer was called for by Pope Francis in his Angelus address on 23 January.

Prayer marathon in the Greek Catholic Church

Heeding the Pope’s appeal, the Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Sviatoslav Shevchuk, is leading a prayer marathon in which every Greek Catholic archeparchy and eparchy across the world is taking part.

The live-streamed prayer marathon began at 9 AM Kyiv time, and will last 12 hours, covering all the Ukrainian Catholic Dioceses throughout the globe – from Ukraine to Australia, South America, North America, Western Europe, Central Europe, and as far away as Kazakhstan.

Appeals from the US and Canada

The Ukrainian Catholic bishops in countries of the diaspora have also called for financial support to help those affected by Ukraine’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“People near the front line often lack the basics — clean water, food, clothes, medicine,” said a statement released on 22 January by the Greek Catholic Bishops in the United States. “The war in Ukraine is real. It kills, maims and destroys daily. An escalated Russian invasion will generate additional millions of refugees, more dead and injured, more tears and pain”, the bishops added, also asking the faithful to be informed and inform others of the situation in the country.

“The world cannot look away; you should not look away. Seek and share the truth, which gives authentic freedom and wisdom,” they said. A similar call was made on Sunday by the Greek Catholic Bishops in Canada, home to a sizable Ukrainian community.

UK Catholics encouraged to pray for peace in Ukraine

In England, Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, has emphasized the importance of prayer in the present crisis. Speaking through the media office of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW), he invited all people of goodwill to join in a prayer service to be held Wednesday in the Cathedral of the Holy Family.

“We can pray along with the Ukrainian people and people of goodwill throughout the world for peace because it will not only be Ukrainians or Ukrainian citizens who will suffer, it will also be Russian citizens whose fathers, brothers, husbands will be involved in the fighting and will also be suffering,” he said.

Bishop Nowakowski further called on Catholics, Christians, and all UK citizens, as well as the Ukrainian community in Britain, to unite in supporting peace. “Let’s understand that we have a common home; that more unites us than divides us,” the bishop said.