SW News:
Holy Mass will be celebrated in each country throughout Europe to invoke peace in Ukraine and pray for those who have died as a result of the war. The CCEE is a council of the presidents of the 33 Roman Catholic episcopal conferences of Europe. The offices of the CCEE Secretariat are located in St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Archbishop Gruas said the European bishops and Christian communities will continue to pray for the victims of this war and their families: throughout the Lenten season. He said since the beginning of the war, the Churches in Europe have been calling for peace in Ukraine that would result in an immediate end to hostilities and a concrete commitment to restore justice, thus starting a true path of reconciliation.
“We are close to those suffering from these acts of violence and we have joined in a network of solidarity to support the Ukrainian people. In fact, over the course of this year, many Christian communities have opened their homes to those fleeing the war and many bishops and delegations have traveled to Ukraine as a concrete sign of the Church's proximity,” he wrote.
“We wish also, as of now, to commit ourselves to build a Europe finally reconciled in a just peace achieved through the efforts of all. We do this in the certainty of Christ's Resurrection, and with the knowledge that He is the hope of Europe.”
The pastoral and social issues brought on by the war in Ukraine were discussed over the course of two days of discussions on February 23 and 24. At its offices in St. Gallen, the Council of the European Bishops' Conferences brought together those in charge of providing pastoral care to Ukrainians living throughout Europe for the Catholic Response for Ukraine, or CR4U.