Languages

 

IES Organized an Online Round Table Discussion “Ukrainian Churches in the Time of War”

Submitted by fihas on Fri, 2022-03-04 22:06
2022-03-04 21:00
Almost 350 participants from over the world took part in the event

Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Ukrainian Catholic University in partnership with the Libertas Center for Interreligious Dialogue, l’Oeuvre d’Orient Foundation and International Federation of Catholic Universities run an online round table discussion "Ukrainian Churches in the Time of War" on March 4, 2022. Almost 350 participants from over the world took part in the event.

The war in Ukraine is heavily affecting the entire population of the country, churches included. We gathered an ecumenical cohort of representatives from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as religious observers and examined how Ukrainian churches are reacting to the Russian military invasion and assisting the population. We raised the questions:

- What were the political and ideological reasons that caused the Russian aggression against Ukraine?

- What are the positions of the Ukrainian Churches towards the war?

- How are the Ukrainian Christians involved in the situation of sufferings and the escalating humanitarian crisis?

- What can we do together to stop the war and to foster peace?

Speakers of the Round tables used to work in the academic area and came from different Christian denominations: Greek and Roman-Catholics, Orthodox of both denominations, Protestants. They shared their reflections and thoughts regarding the dramatic and crucial events, happening in Ukraine.

  • Myroslav Marynovych, Vice-Rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University, Co-Founder of Amnesty International Ukraine, and a Founding Member of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group, Lviv.
  • Rev. Petro Balog, Director of St Thomas Aquinas Institute in Kyiv, a Dominican priest who stays in the heart of Ukraine, in the capital Kyiv now.
  • Sergii Bortnyk, a professor at the Theology Academy of Kyiv, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, Kyiv.
  • Taras Dzyubanskyy, Director of the UCU Institute of Religion and Society and the Libertas Center for Interreligious Dialogue, Lviv
  • Roman Soloviy, Director of Eastern European Institute of Theology, Lviv.
  • Most Rev. Pavlo Shvarts, Bishop of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, Kharkiv.
  • Rev. Ihor Shaban, Head of the Commission for Interconfessional and Interreligious Dialogue, Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Kyiv.

Participants expressed their cordial solidarity with the suffering people of Ukraine.

You could watch video translation here:

https://www.facebook.com/esweekucu/videos/681407032994721