Ukraine crisis: The Bishop of Chichester calls for a day of fasting and prayer

The Bishop of Chichester, Dr Martin Warner, has urged parishes across his diocese to support Pope Francis’s suggestion of using Ash Wednesday (March 2) as a day of fasting and prayer for Ukraine.
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The Bishop today (Friday, February 25) also commended the pastoral letter issued yesterday by the archbishops of Canterbury and York to his parishes adding that: “This is a call to prayer, as the international community is confronted by the shocking news of military invasion in Ukraine, described by its President as the descent of a new iron curtain.”

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As Lent approaches next week, Dr Warner added that Pope Francis’ invitation was something he would be supporting and that ‘across this diocese you will join me in the keeping of that ancient discipline, for the sake of peace and the suffering of the people of Ukraine. And let each of us carry the plight of the Ukraine in our hearts throughout the solemn days of Lent’.

The Right Rev Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of ChichesterThe Right Rev Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
The Right Rev Dr Martin Warner, Bishop of Chichester
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Dr Warner added the following prayer to his parishes: “May God, in his mercy, answer our prayer, soften the hearts of aggressors, and strengthen those who give aid the victims of conflict and who work for the recovery of peace and freedom.”

Here is the full text of the Bishop’s letter going out to parishes:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Diocese of Chichester,

This is a call to prayer, as the international community is confronted by the shocking news of military invasion in Ukraine, described by its President as the descent of a new iron curtain.

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has invited Christians worldwide to dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer on Ash Wednesday (March 2).

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I hope that across this diocese you will join me in the keeping of that ancient discipline, for the sake of peace and the suffering of the people of Ukraine. And let each of us carry the plight of the Ukraine in our hearts throughout the solemn days of Lent.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have also written to remind us that peace is more than the absence of war. So let us hold fast to the virtues of justice, truth, freedom, and the dignity of the human person in our own lives and society, believing this to be the rightful inheritance of all people, irrespective of race, language or creed.

The letter from the archbishops is attached, as are prayers for the abstinence and fasting of Ash Wednesday and the keeping of Lent.

May God, in his mercy, answer our prayer, soften the hearts of aggressors, and strengthen those who give aid the victims of conflict and who work for the recovery of peace and freedom.

Martin