The delegation of COMECE and His Beatitude Shevchuk in Lviv. (Photo: COMECE)
To mark the fourth tragic anniversary of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), together with the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation, invites all people of goodwill to join in prayer for the people of Ukraine on Tuesday, 24th February 2026.
This call echoes the repeated invitations of Pope Leo XIV to “support with prayer our brothers and sisters in Ukraine, sorely tried by the consequences” of the war. It also builds on the Conference on peacebuilding held in Luxembourg on 23rd January 2026, during which participants expressed their shared intention to unite in prayer for peace in Ukraine, identifying 24th February as a particularly meaningful date.
In this context, COMECE and the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation encourage individuals and communities to come together in prayer, either personally or collectively, asking God for the gift of peace for our continent and the world and entrusting to Him all those who continue to suffer from the consequences war, as a sign of solidarity.
“We are deeply struck by the protracted duration of the war and its devastating consequences, with so many dead and wounded, widespread destruction, and an entire population enduring immense suffering. While continuing to call on the European Union and its Member States to enhance all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace, we also pray for a genuine process of reconstruction and reconciliation”, stated H.E. Mgr Mariano Crociata, President of COMECE, in support of this initiative.
This prayer joins other expressions of spiritual closeness with those affected by the conflict on the eastern borders of the European Union, including the initiative “United in prayer for peace in Ukraine and the Holy Land” promoted by the Council of Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).