“Deeply moved by the tragedy of war, we strongly condemn the attacks against the civilians, which are causing great loss of life, especially among women and children,” wrote members of the Polish Bishops’ Conference present at the 391st Plenary Meeting in a statement.
The bishops called on those responsible for the outbreak of aggression against the Ukrainian state and people to stop the hostilities as soon as possible and make efforts to conclude a just peace.
At the same time, they called on all the faithful to “fervently pray for peace in Ukraine, combining, if possible, their prayer with fasting.”
They also thanked all, thank all people, and especially Caritas Poland and the diocesan Caritas, “who have given from the very beginning self-sacrificing and selfless assistance and continue helping to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and those coming to Poland to seek refuge with us from the horrors of the war.”
Following is the full text of the statement:
Statement of the Polish Bishops’ Conference on the War in Ukraine
We, the Polish bishops participating in the 391st Plenary Meeting of the Polish Bishops’ Conference on 14-15 March 2022 in Warsaw, with reference to the previous words of Holy Father Francis and the interventions of the President of the Polish Bishops’ Conference Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, and the stance of the Permanent Council of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, wish to speak out against Russia’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine, an independent and sovereign country governed by democratic principles.
Deeply moved by the tragedy of war, we strongly condemn the attacks against the civilians, which are causing great loss of life, especially among women and children.
We call on those responsible for the outbreak of aggression against the State and people of Ukraine to stop hostilities as soon as possible and to make efforts to conclude a just peace.
At the same time, we call upon all the faithful to fervently pray for peace in Ukraine, combining, if possible, their prayer with fasting.
We wholeheartedly thank all people, and especially Caritas Poland and the diocesan Caritas, who have given from the very beginning self-sacrificing and selfless assistance and continue helping our sisters and brothers in Ukraine and those coming to Poland to seek refuge with us from the horrors of the war.
The Members of the Polish Bishops’ Conference present at the 391st Plenary Assembly.
Warsaw, March 15, 2022
