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In a letter to Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation, and Volodymyr Oleksandrovytch Zelensky, president of Ukraine, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca urged the leaders to listen to the cries of their own faithful people.

In a response to a letter from First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed both his appreciation for her candid reflections as well as his own pain at the ongoing and increasingly grave humanitarian consequences of the conflict.

Hosting refugees, providing food, helping in hospitals, and ringing church bells as a warning when shelling starts—these are some of the many ways churches are responding in Ukraine and bordering countries as the war continues. More than two million people have poured out of Ukraine, and estimates from relief groups show that 18 million people—a third of the country’s population—will need humanitarian assistance.

In a letter to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow on 2 March, World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca asked the patriarch to mediate so that the war between Russia and Ukraine can be stopped.

In an “Address to the Faithful and Citizens of Ukraine” on 24 February, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine (Moscow Patriarchate) candidly addressed the current situation: “Trouble has happened,” he said. “Most regrettably, Russia has started military actions against Ukraine, and at this fateful time, I urge you not to panic, be courageous and show love for your homeland and for one another.”

The World Council of Churches denounces any and every use of deadly armed force to resolve disputes that could be resolved by dialogue.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca expressed grave concern for the people of Ukraine amid the latest developments and escalating tensions threatening peace and security.

World Council of Churches acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca participated in a Human Fraternity and the Global Tolerance Alliance Roundtable on 4 February.

The systemic injustices of racism, colonialism and slavery—and how they feed into increases in violence and atrocities—held the attention of hundreds of people who attended the online Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-based Organizations in International Affairs on 25 January.

World Council of Churches (WCC) acting general secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Ioan Sauca, on behalf of WCC member churches throughout the world, urgently appealed for peace for the people of Ukraine.

The 8th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs, to be held 25 January, will focus on “Mobilizing Moral Influence and Governance to End the Systemic Injustices of Racism, the legacy of Colonialism and Slavery.”

An interfaith consultation held 12-16 December in Beirut, Lebanon, offered the chance for participants from different traditions to share their vision for social and religious cohesion in Iraq, assessing the current context and envisioning the way forward.

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem have released a “Statement on the Current Threat to the Christian Presence in the Holy Land,” reiterating the concern that, throughout the Holy Land, Christians have become the target of fringe and radical groups.