WASHINGTON – “Continue to speak the truth, and treat every human being with dignity,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) while hosting a meeting on May 1 with religious leaders from Ukraine. The USCCB welcomed representatives of The Ukrainian Council of the Churches of Religious Organizations (UCCRO) to Washington in a show of solidarity with their war-torn country.

The Ukrainian religious leaders spoke about the indiscriminate bombing of churches, the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, and religious persecution in the occupied territories. They expressed great gratitude for the prayers and aid of the American people and asked for continued help with sharing the truth about what is happening in Ukraine.

Bishop Vitaliy Kryvytskyi of the Diocese of Kyiv-Zhytomyr said, “We really have felt the solidarity of the Church in the USA, and we never cease to pray for you. Now we are asking the Church to be on the side of the truth, and not to allow a false narrative to prevail in the current political climate. For us, it is ‘war’ not a ‘conflict.’ This is one example of how we see things have shifted.”

In response, Archbishop Broglio encouraged the Ukrainians to continue their authentic witness of Biblical values — “to speak the truth, even when not politically expedient, respect fundamental human rights and treat every human person with dignity, even Russian prisoners of war.”

Another member of the delegation, Bishop Igor Bandura, deputy head of the All-Ukrainian Union of the Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, gave testimony to the power of prayer as “the most powerful weapon,” and asked for continued prayers.

The Kyiv-based council which includes Christians, Jews, and Muslims, was organized by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.