Bishop John McAreavey asks for prayers for peace in Iraq and Ukraine

14 Jun 2014

Bishop John McAreavey has today asked the faithful to remember in prayer the Christian communities, and all civilians, who are suffering from the current unrest in Iraq and also in Ukraine. Bishop McAreavey has asked for prayers to be included at Masses this weekend for peace in these two countries. Bishop McAreavey said

“Over the last few days the suddenness, intensity and fast pace of the sectarian conflict in northern Iraq has caught the world by surprise. It has the potential to destabilise the Middle East. The complexity of the religious and political issues involved requires the existence of a considered peace process for the region.”

Earlier this week during its Summer General Meeting in Maynooth, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference discussed correspondence from Archbishop Sviatoslav, the Major Archbishop of Kyiv-Halych in Ukraine. Archbishop Sviatoslav thanked the faithful of Ireland for their “abiding prayer and various works of charity … [which] has supported with prayer and exhortation the yearning for peace and justice in Ukraine.” At their meeting the bishops prayed for the people of Ukraine who have suffered greatly over the last six months.

ENDS
Notes to Editors

Bishop John McAreavey is Bishop of Dromore and is Chair of the Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference

For media contact: Catholic Communications Office Maynooth: Martin Long 00353 (0) 86 172 7678