Church leaders in Poland and Ukraine have condemned Russian military aggression while calling for international support for the Ukrainian people.
In a joint appeal on behalf of Ukraine Monday, four senior prelates — Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, president of Poland’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, leader of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, Archbishop Eugeniusz Popowicz, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic hierarch in Poland, and Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki, leader of the Catholic Bishops in Ukraine — warn that Russian aggression poses “a great threat for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.”
“The occupation of Donbass and Crimea has shown that the Russian Federation — while violating the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine — disregards the binding rules of international law,” the prelates contend.
“The existing situation is a great threat for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the entire European continent, which may destroy the achievements of many generations building a peaceful order and unity in Europe,” they assert.
Civilian participants in a Kyiv Territorial Defence unit train on a Saturday in a forest on January 22, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
“In the end, war is always a defeat for mankind,” the archbishops declare. “It is an expression of barbarity and an infective tool for resolving disputes” as well as “a crime against God and man.”
In their appeal, the church leaders recall that “the totalitarian regimes of the 20th century brought the world tragic experiences of wars and political terror, disregarding God’s authority,” insisting that “every war is a misfortune and can never be an appropriate way to solve international problems.”
“Taught by the experience of previous generations, we appeal to the rulers to refrain from hostilities,” they write. “We urge leaders to immediately back down from ultimatums and using another country as a bargaining chip.”
The archbishops also call on the international community to “actively support the threatened society in all possible ways,” referring to Ukraine.
Archbishop Gądecki also declared that Wednesday, January 26, will be a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine.
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