In Israel, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders call for peace in Ukraine
On Monday, March 21, several dozen Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious representatives gathered in front of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in Jerusalem. Advocating for peace in Ukraine, they called on Patriarch Kirill to do his utmost to end the war.
Agenzia Fides reports that at the initiative of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) and the Elijah Interfaith Institute, several dozen Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders gathered in front of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Jerusalem on Monday, March 21.
Representatives of the different faiths were gathered in a process of unity to call for the end of the war in Ukraine. They also called on Russian Patriarch Kirill to use his influence to urge President Putin to stop fighting.
Agenzia Fides reports that at the initiative of the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) and the Elijah Interfaith Institute, several dozen Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders gathered in front of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in Jerusalem on Monday, March 21.
Representatives of the different faiths were gathered in a process of unity to call for the end of the war in Ukraine. They also called on Russian Patriarch Kirill to use his influence to urge President Putin to stop fighting.
"This is a time when religious leaders must raise the banner of peace and do everything in their power to promote it," Said Rabbi Yonatan Neril, director of ICSD at the event.
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said he was "against no one," while stressing that "the images we see in the media are terrible and are not justifiable." "We must express our solidarity," he added.
For his part, the representative of the Druze in Israel, Shaykh Mowafaq Tarīf, recalled that "the life that God has given us is a holy thing." "We see in the murder of these people the very murder of Jesus Christ," he continued, before declaring that believers must unite their voices "so that the leaders of the world may wake up and put an end to this war and this bloodshed."
A conflict that pits Christians "against each other"
At the end of the meeting, a letter signed by 150 Christians, Jews and Muslims from around the world was hung on the walls of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in a symbolic gesture.
The letter was sent on March 6 to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill urging him to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urge him to end the war.
Vatican News reports excerpts from the letter in which religious representatives say they are "saddened to see the fighting, which mainly pits Orthodox Christians against each other." A conflict that "has already resulted in a significant loss of life, both among combatants and civilians."
They also warn of the "risk of much wider destruction beyond Ukraine, including the very real threat of a nuclear accident and a wider conflict between nuclear powers."
Camille Westphal Perrier
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, said he was "against no one," while stressing that "the images we see in the media are terrible and are not justifiable." "We must express our solidarity," he added.
For his part, the representative of the Druze in Israel, Shaykh Mowafaq Tarīf, recalled that "the life that God has given us is a holy thing." "We see in the murder of these people the very murder of Jesus Christ," he continued, before declaring that believers must unite their voices "so that the leaders of the world may wake up and put an end to this war and this bloodshed."
A conflict that pits Christians "against each other"
At the end of the meeting, a letter signed by 150 Christians, Jews and Muslims from around the world was hung on the walls of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in a symbolic gesture.
The letter was sent on March 6 to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill urging him to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urge him to end the war.
Vatican News reports excerpts from the letter in which religious representatives say they are "saddened to see the fighting, which mainly pits Orthodox Christians against each other." A conflict that "has already resulted in a significant loss of life, both among combatants and civilians."
They also warn of the "risk of much wider destruction beyond Ukraine, including the very real threat of a nuclear accident and a wider conflict between nuclear powers."
Camille Westphal Perrier
CHRISTIAN INFO
In Israel, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders call for peace in Ukraine (infochretienne.com)
In Israel, Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders call for peace in Ukraine (infochretienne.com)
