The Vicar General of the Catholic diocese of Moscow, Fr Kirill Gorbunov, discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine with Vatican News. Fr Gorbunov highlighted the 'countless lives' lost during the war and stressed the necessity of empathizing with the 'other'. The Catholic community in Russia is very small, comprising less than 1% of the population, and often faces suspicion as a 'Church of foreigners'. The interview marked the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
8 days ago
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Fr Kirill Gorbunov, Vicar General of Moscow's Catholic Archdiocese, insists the Ukraine conflict "must end" after four years of full-scale war since February 2022.1
He highlights countless lives lost and violence demanding a just, lasting peace, shared by Russian Catholics.1
Many Russians exhibit denial, repressing the war's reality and longing for pre-conflict normalcy, which Gorbunov deems impossible.1
Others despair, questioning God's mercy amid suffering, but he points to Scripture's view of overflowing injustice requiring personal change.1
Russian Catholics echo this desire for conclusion while navigating their tiny community size.1
Russia's Catholics number less than 1% of the population, with even fewer practicing, historically seen as a "foreign" church.1
This fosters suspicion, challenging believers to integrate Russian culture with universal Catholicism.1
Media narratives in Russia portray the enemy as inherently bad, mirroring global patterns where each side claims sole truth.1
Gorbunov praises empathy, citing Ukrainian women who met Pope Leo XIV and refused to blame Russians, recognizing situational influences.1
Peace begins by understanding others' limited perspectives.1
Russian-Ukrainian Catholic families face division or shattering, amplifying suffering.1
The war intensifies faith questions from the pandemic era, urging a focus on salvation history.1
Sacraments and liturgy continue normally, reinforcing unity amid broader Church divisions on liturgy and morals.1
Small parishes grapple with worldview clashes, but Gorbunov stresses praying together and viewing all through God's loving eyes.1
God desires salvation for everyone equally.1
Catholic advocacy demands peace amid Ukraine conflict
The Catholic Church has maintained a steadfast position of advocating for peace amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, emphasizing immediate ceasefires, dialogue, humanitarian aid, and the rejection of war as madness. This advocacy, rooted in Gospel teachings on peacemaking, is evident in statements from Popes Francis and Leo XIV, as well as bishops' conferences and Vatican diplomats, who repeatedly urge all parties to prioritize de-escalation and solidarity with victims.
The Church's calls for peace in Ukraine trace back to the conflict's escalation, with Pope Francis highlighting the "horror of war" and its disproportionate impact on innocents, including children, refugees, and the elderly. In a 2022 General Audience, he described war as "madness" affecting all sides, declaring, "those who profit from war and the arms trade are criminals who kill humanity," and consecrated both Ukraine and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for peace. This theme persists under Pope Leo XIV, who in 2025 addressed the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Synod, acknowledging the "senseless war" and offering consolation amid loss, while praying for peace through Mary's intercession.
Earlier interventions, such as Archbishop Gabriele Caccia's 2022 UN statement, stressed the Holy See's concern over "threatening winds" in Eastern Europe, calling for diplomacy to prevent irreparable harm and invoking the UN Charter's commitment to save generations from war. These appeals frame war not merely as a political failure but a violation of humanity's "innate vocation to fraternity."
Pope Leo XIV has intensified this advocacy in 2025-2026. In his January 2026 address to the Diplomatic Corps, he reiterated the Holy See's demand for an "immediate ceasefire" in Ukraine, motivated by civilian suffering, and pledged support for peace initiatives. During his May 2025 General Audience, he expressed closeness to victims, especially children, and renewed calls to "stop the war and to support every initiative of dialogue and peace," extending prayers to war-torn areas like Gaza.
Press conferences during his 2025 apostolic journeys further underscore this. En route from Türkiye to Lebanon, he addressed Ukraine's truce prospects alongside Gaza, affirming the Vatican's shared vision for solutions like two-state frameworks while highlighting Türkiye's role in peace efforts such as the grain corridor. Returning from Lebanon, he confronted NATO-Russia tensions, warning of escalation risks like cyber attacks. These interventions position the Holy See as a mediator committed to "just and lasting solutions" protecting the vulnerable.
European bishops echo this urgency. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, for COMECE, in 2022 expressed "great concern" over Russian actions, appealing to refrain from hostilities as "war is always a defeat for humanity," and urged dialogue rooted in international law over armament. Similar statements from COMECE presidents in 2021-2022 called on Russia to halt escalations, welcomed EU aid to Ukraine, and invoked prayer for peacemakers as "children of God."
At the UN, Archbishop Caccia in 2023 decried the "blood shedding war," quoting Pope Francis on its disastrous effects—from families to creation (e.g., the Nova Kakhovka dam)—and pleaded for silenced weapons while thanking aid providers. He also condemned indiscriminate attacks on infrastructure as "crimes against God and man," renewing gratitude for Catholic relief efforts via the Dicastery for Charity.
This advocacy aligns with Catholic social teaching on peace as more than absence of war but an "ordered universe willed by God" through justice. Evangelii Gaudium (Pope Francis) portrays the Church as proclaiming the "Gospel of peace," calling baptized persons to be peacemakers via social dialogue for consensus in inclusive societies. Conflict resolution demands facing issues "head on" to forge unity, as "Blessed are the peacemakers!" (Mt 5:9).
The 1984 Dialogue and Mission extends this to interreligious dialogue for universal peace, including non-believers, affirming all as called to fraternity under God the Father, working "without violence and deceit." These documents provide the doctrinal backbone, prioritizing dialogue over force.
| Key Themes in Catholic Advocacy | Representative Sources | Core Message |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate Ceasefire & Dialogue | , , , | "Stop the war"; prioritize negotiation over escalation. |
| Humanitarian Solidarity | , , , | Aid to refugees, orphans; closeness to wounded. |
| Condemnation of War | , , | War as "madness," "defeat for humanity"; arms trade as criminal. |
| Prayer & Marian Invocation | , , , | Consecration to Mary; peacemakers as God's children. |
The Church's position remains non-partisan, critiquing all aggressors while supporting Ukraine through aid and diplomacy. It challenges the international community—including the EU and UN—to pursue "creative ways of negotiation" without reinforcing violence. Recent sources under Pope Leo XIV (2025-2026) take precedence, confirming continuity without divergence.
In summary, Catholic advocacy demands peace through ceaseless appeals for ceasefire, dialogue, and aid, grounded in Christ's peace (Eph 2:14) and human dignity. This unified voice—from popes to bishops—condemns war's madness and invites all to prayer and action for reconciliation.