On October 6, the Conference of European Churches (CEC), in cooperation with the Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Ukrainian Catholic University and the International Forum 16th Ecumenical Social Week, organized a hybrid panel comprising Ukrainian church representatives to explore questions of peace and reconciliation. Notably, Bishop Sándor Zán-Fábián of the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia (RCT) was among the church representatives who participated in the panel.
CEC was founded in 1959 as "a peacebuilding organization following the death and destruction of World War II." The Pathway to Peace initiative honors the organization's commitment to peacebuilding and reconciliation. The initiative aims to foster stronger dialogue among European churches while amplifying the voices of Ukrainian churches. Through diverse events and projects, Pathways to Peace nurtures an ecumenical vision of a just and peaceful world, fostering exchanges among European churches and prioritizing the inclusion of Ukrainian church perspectives in an ongoing ecumenical discourse. The initiative focuses on preparing for peace in Ukraine by promoting cooperation between church leaders, intellectuals, and academics. The initiative also advocates for safeguarding religious sites damaged in Ukraine.
The October 6 hybrid panel participants included representatives from the Orthodox Church in Ukraine, the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine, United World Mission, and the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia (RCT). Representatives discussed the approaches and conditions of just peace in Ukraine and how churches can support reconstruction efforts by forging dialogue between actors. The panel addressed questions such as “How can churches build just peace in Ukraine?” and “How can Ukrainian and other European Christians unite to encourage reconciliation in a war-torn country?” Bishop Zán-Fábián of the RCT specifically spoke on the importance of churches' role in "speaking the truth" to the establishment and politicians, saying that churches "must focus on our commitment and obligation to peace and follow the truth."
CEC: Ukrainian churches dialogue on how to build just peace amid the war
How can churches build just peace in Ukraine? How can Ukrainian and other European Christians unite to encourage reconciliation in a war-torn country? How can churches be a witness to the truth? These questions were explored by Ukrainian church representatives in a hybrid panel in Lviv, Ukraine.
Continuing in Solidarity With Ukraine
The Reformed Church in Hungary, in cooperation with the Reformed Church in Transcarpathia (Ukraine), recently hosted the “Ukraine Future Conference” from the 14th-17th of July. To reaffirm their continuing solidarity, partner churches and organizations worldwide gathered in Budapest to listen to and discuss interpretations of just peace and reconciliation.