“Let us join the spiritual efforts of the followers of Christ of various denominations in Russia, Ukraine, and Poland to avert the specter of another war in our region,” appealed Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, chairman of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, in a letter to the Orthodox and Catholic bishops of Russia and Ukraine, including the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow and all of Cyril’s Ruthenia.
“I am turning to you, dear brothers, as bishop of a country that borders both Russia and Ukraine. We are bound by a common history and holy Christian faith. So let’s join the spiritual efforts of the followers of Christ of various denominations in Russia, Ukraine and Poland, jointly praying to Him Who is Peace, to stave off the specter of another war in our region “, wrote Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki to the Orthodox and Catholic bishops of Russia and Ukraine. “Let our prayerful effort be a cry to prevent the suffering and death of thousands of innocent lives, especially the weakest, defenseless, who will not find the strength and opportunities to escape the conflagration of war,” we read in the letter.
The chairman of the Polish Episcopate, referring to media reports about the serious risk of an armed conflict in Ukraine, emphasized that “every war is a tragedy of humanity” and that thousands of people are dying, and many of them, on both sides, are mutilated. “The war between Russia and Ukraine would be even more dramatic by the fact that they are two Christian and Slavic nations. In a human way, and in God’s way, these two different nations should unite a lot and incline not to hatred, but to mutual respect and friendship. The necessary condition for this is respect for the rights of nations, including the right to self-determination and territorial integrity, ”wrote Archbishop Gądecki.
Recalling the two wars that took place in the last century, he recalled the words of St. John Paul II, who wrote in his Message for the World Day of Peace in 2000 that “wars are often the cause of further wars, because they fuel deeply entrenched hatreds, lead to injustice, and trample the dignity and rights of the human person. They usually fail to solve the conflicting problems and are therefore not only terribly destructive but also useless. ” “Every war is madness” – added Archbishop Gądecki.
