European bishops have called for peace in Ukraine

The Council of European Catholic Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), following its plenary assembly, held in Salzburg from October 27 to 30, 2026, issued a strong call for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and other conflict-ridden regions. According to Vatican News, the bishops emphasized that Europe is facing the largest military conflict since World War II and urged people not to grow accustomed to the violence that destroys the norms of civilization.

In their statement, the assembly participants, drawing on the spiritual legacy of St. Francis of Assisi, reminded everyone that true peace cannot be imposed by force—it is born in the human heart through forgiveness and prayer. Echoing the Pope’s call, the bishops affirmed that “there is no such thing as a holy war: only peace is holy,” and called on the faithful to become “unarmed instruments” of reconciliation.

In addition to issues of global security, the assembly focused on internal Church matters. The participants confirmed the mandate of Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius as president of the CCEE for the term 2026–2031. The main part of the discussions focused on the theme “Evangelization and Synodality: The Mission of Priests in Contemporary Europe.”

Cardinal Mario Grech noted the key role of local churches in the synodal process, emphasizing that each diocese makes a unique contribution to the life of the universal Church. For his part, Cardinal Lazzaro Yu Heung-sik called for the formation of a priestly fraternity in which pastors could support one another, show mercy to those around them, and actively participate in the work of evangelization, following the principles of the apostolic exhortation *Evangelii Gaudium*.