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Church leaders urge Russian patriarch to speak with Putin
Catholic and Orthodox leaders in Europe have appealed to Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, urging him to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop the bloodshed in Ukraine and to ask Russian soldiers to refuse orders.
‘My place is here,’ says pope’s representative in Ukraine
Keeping a backpack full of essentials, papal nuncio Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas based in Kyiv said he has no intentions of leaving the country. For him, "the beautiful response of humanity" to the war Ukraine makes it feel like "the spiritual capital of the world."
Cardinal joins Biden, and later Archbishop Gudziak, in praying for Ukraine
Washington Cardinal Wilton Gregory, after praying with President Joe Biden at the White House and distributing ashes March 2, later celebrated a Mass with the Ukrainian archbishop of Philadelphia in solidarity and prayer for peace in Ukraine.
Lent begins with ‘heavy hearts’ over Ukraine war, says archbishop
At Mass for Ash Wednesday, Archbishop Nelson Pérez offered prayers for the besieged nation and welcomed Ukrainian Catholic clergy. "There is power in those ashes," he said.
Russian strike damages Holocaust site, prompting calls to remember victims
A missile damaged the memorial at Babyn Yar in Kyiv, where close to 34,000 Jews were killed in two days during 1941, evoking Soviet-era suppression of Jewish suffering during World War II.
War in Ukraine could release buried Chernobyl radioactive waste, humanitarian warns
Adi Roche, founder of Chernobyl Children International, invoked the Hague Conventions to call for a no-war, no-fly zone over the site of the world's worst nuclear disaster.
Prayers urged for U.S. troops, families in Europe
The archbishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services said the soldiers and their families serving in the build up of NATO forces in Europe are active in civilian parishes and schools, and "need support, interest and prayerful concern."
Detroit-area Ukrainians see history repeating itself
Older Ukrainians at a rally in Michigan said it is unfathomable to witness the same tragedy in their homeland that their parents suffered and escaped from decades ago, both by the Nazis and the Soviets. They are proud of the current resistance to the invasion.
Senate rejection of abortion bill comes as relief for US bishops
The bill, which failed by two votes in the Senate, would have codified the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide and eliminated pro-life laws at every level of government, including -- including health or safety protections.
Pope leaves door open for dialogue by not criticizing Russia
Pope Francis has not said the word "Russia" publicly when condemning the violence and praying for peace in Ukraine, even as it is besieged by the Russian invasion. Meanwhile, Orthodox churches in Ukraine split over national lines.