A joint prayer for peace in the world, especially the Middle East and Ukraine, held in Rome

On Thursday, October 8, 2015, a joint prayer for peace in the world, especially the Middle East and Ukraine, was held at the Roman Basilica of the Byzantine-Melchite Rite, Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Vatican Radio informs.

The prayer was organised by Patriarch Gregorios III, head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church. Invited were the bishops representing the Eastern Catholic Churches at the Synod of Bishops on the family which takes place in Vatican. The prayer for peace in Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Ukraine was remarkable in that it was carried out in different languages: Greek, Arabic, Romanian, Church Slavonic, Hungarian and Ukrainian.

The Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church was represented by His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, Eparch of the Holy Family in London and Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Greek-Catholics in Ireland, and Bishop Boris Gudziak of Eparchy of St. Vladimir in Paris. After the service, the Greek-Catholic bishops held a fraternal dialogue, during which every hierarch had the opportunity to share their thoughts on the pastoral situation in his eparchy or metropolia and in his sui iris Church.

In particular, the Ukrainian bishops and bishops of the Middle East recounted to their brothers in the episcopate the activities of their Churches during armed conflicts and wars in their countries. This common prayer for peace was also attended by students and representatives of Ukrainian Papal College of St. Josaphat, such as Father Theodosius Gren, OSBM, vice-rector of the College. After the prayer meeting, His Beatitude Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), shared his thoughts with Vatican Radio.

Translated by Fr Athanasius McVay