Putin puts Russian nuclear forces on special alert; Germany allows arms to be sent to Ukraine; the EU orders a no fly zone for Russian flights; street fighting in Ukraine’s second biggest city Kharkiv; an oil depot ablaze in Vasylkiv south of Kyiv; the population in Kyiv lives underground and observes a curfew; tens of thousands of refugees from Poland cross adjacent borders and are met by volunteer help; Boris Johnson visited Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London promising to allow relatives of Ukrainians to come to UK.
Prayers everywhere for Ukraine
English Cathedrals have lit up in blue and yellow in solidarity with the people of Ukraine, under attack from a Russian invasion. Peterborough, Lincoln and Ely cathedrals shone the colours of the Ukrainian flag, with prayer stations set up, spaces for reflection and opportunities to light candles. Cathedrals will join the Anglican Communion’s call to prayer at 1800 on Tuesday, in an initiative from the Diocese of Europe, which includes a small Anglican presence in Kiev.
All churches in the Church of England prayed for peace in Ukraine yesterday, as the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said the attack was an act of evil and called for a ceasefire.
The president and vice president of the Methodist Church in Britain, the Rev Sonia Hicks and Barbara Easton, say they are horrified and heartbroken at the violent assault on Ukraine, affirming that Christians are called to pursue peace.
At the Sunday Angelus in Rome, the Pope said those who wage war “rely on the diabolic and perverse logic of weapons which is the most distant from the will of God”. He has called for a global day of prayer on Ash Wednesday.
Pope Francis visits Moscow’s ambassador to the Vatican
Reuters reports that Pope Francis visited the Russian embassy to the Vatican on Friday, spending 40 minutes telling Moscow’s ambassador of his concern at the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is said to be an unprecedented departure from diplomatic protocol.
Patriarch Kirill says opponents in Ukraine are “evil forces“
According to reports on AFP, Barrons, Interfax and SEE news, the Russian Orthodox leader, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, has called Russia’s opponents in Ukraine “evil forces”. AFP quotes him saying, in an address to parishioners: “God forbid that the current political situation in brotherly Ukraine should be aimed at ensuring that the evil forces that have always fought against the unity of Russia and the Russian Church prevail”.
Four days ago, he issued a statement saying he was pained by the suffering of people in Ukraine and called on all parties to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, adding: “The Russian and Ukrainian peoples have a common centuries-old history dating back to the Baptism of Rus’ by Prince St. Vladimir (in 988AD)..I believe that this God-given affinity will help overcome the divisions and disagreements that have arisen that have led to the current conflict”.
Archbishop: strengthen Ukraine forces
The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said it would not be the right thing to declare war on Russia but there were still things that could be done to isolate and hurt Russia, even though sanctions would affect us all. He told BBC Radio 4’s Sunday programme that people should stand alongside Ukraine in offering humanitarian aid, finding safe routes for refugees, strengthening Ukraine forces, encouraging the media to tell the truth and praying for an end to war. He warned that this would be a long haul, but he believed Putin would not win.
CofE divests from Russia
The Times reports that the Church of England has sold all £20 million investments in Russian companies and banned any further investment. This represents 0.16 per cent of the total £13 billion portfolio, managed through the Church Commissioners and the Church of England Pensions Board. In a statement to the Times, the church said that the money was put into companies not held in Russian sovereign debt.
Other news:
Law and Religion UK, which monitors legal decisions relating to the church, has published a review of 18 recent decisions on the re-location of baptismal fonts. Applications to remove them are made partly because of health and safety concerns (people tripping over them), or aesthetic reasons when re-ordering a church. One option, apparently often considered, is removing and burying them in church grounds, but storage is usually recommended instead.
The death has been announced of Henry Lincoln, 92, co-author of The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, which scandalised people with the suggestion that Jesus Christ survived the Crucifixion, married the prostitute Mary Magdalene and fathered children – a plot line reflected in The Da Vinci Code. Telegraph obit here
