WCC NEWS: Youth across the world voice prayers for the people of Ukraine

Youth from the World Council of Churches (WCC) ECHOS Commission on Youth from different parts of the world met online to raise their voices in prayer and hope in light of the current situation in Ukraine. 17 March 2022, Siret, Romania: A group of Ukrainian refugees at the Vama Siret border crossing, Romania. The Vama Siret border crossing connects northeast Romania with Ukraine. Located north of Siret and further in the south the city of Suceava, the crossing connects Romania with the Ukrainian village of Terebleche and further north the city of Chernivtsi. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 23 March 2022 They lifted their voices in a joint prayer of intercession saying:  “We ask for safety, wisdom and compassion for all working, to alleviate suffering and heal the wounded.”  “We give thanks for the proactive response of churches to work in situations of war and unrest in order to meet the needs of others.” “We pray for the young people, separated families, for those who are refugees of the war in foreign countries and for those who are travelling to safety.” Youth also shared about how their community and churches are responding to the situation. "As an Orthodox Christian and a member of the Youth Commission of the WCC, I deeply mourn the loss of all innocent lives in the tragic internecine strife that has been taking place since 2014. Human dignity will always remain an essential value, no matter whether someone speaks Ukrainian or Russian, and lives in Kiev or in Donbas”, said Philip Champion, a youth representative from the Russian Orthodox Church. “I ask our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), to soften the hearts of all rulers who have the power to end the current military confrontation”, Champion added. . Dianet Martínez Valdés from Cuba said that “we cannot remain indifferent to the pain of those who suffer from conflict and war, especially those who are the most vulnerable: children, women, young people, elderly, sick people and people with disabilities. Therefore, it is our commitment not to remain silent and speak out for peace and the immediate end of the war.”  Maria Mountraki from the Orthodox Church of Finland also shared about how her church in Finland is responding, saying: “Our church has been actively taking part in peace appeals, and we made pilgrimages from different churches around the Helsinki area to the Ukrainian Embassy to show solidarity. We also invited the Lutheran churches to join and ring church bells in the area and over 300 people took part.” Emily Evans, a WCC executive committee member from the Uniting Church in Australia, said the gathering was a show of Christian unity. “Being from Australia, I often have felt removed from the events that are happening in Ukraine and surrounding countries or very far away,” she said. “Last night’s gathering reminded me that as a member of a global fellowship of churches that we are joining with Christians around the world in prayer, as we unitedly pray for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”   Read the full Prayers of Intercession Youth in the ecumenical movement Church response to refugees, “I’m seeing the image of God in you” (WCC press release, 22 March 2022) ACT Alliance, WCC delegation visits Hungary, Ukraine and Romania with a focus on humanitarian needs, church response (WCC press release of 18 March 2022) Churches respond to growing humanitarian needs in Ukraine and bordering countries (WCC news release, 11 March 2022) WCC appalled by escalating impact on civilians of conflict in Ukraine (WCC news release, 11 March 2022) WCC acting general secretary to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow: “raise up your voice so that the war can be stopped” (WCC press release, 2 March 2022) WCC urges President Putin to stop war, restore peace to Ukraine (WCC press release of 25 February 2022) See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 550 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC acting general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, from the Orthodox Church in Romania. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland