The Bishop of Worcester, Hugh Nelson, shared a message from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, as he joined Ukrainian church leaders, other religious leaders and government officials at the national prayer breakfast in Kyiv this morning.

The message renews the Church of England’s commitment to “stand in prayerful solidarity” with Ukraine and acknowledging the “immense sacrifices” made “in defence of your country, its people and the values of freedom and human dignity”.

It also celebrates Ukraine’s rich religious pluralism, commends the constitutional commitments to freedom of religion and conscience and rejects the language of “holy war” used to justify the attempts to occupy and subjugate Ukraine by the current regime in Moscow.

Quoting the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, Archbishop Sarah writes: “As His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch has reminded us, ‘There has never been, nor will there be, a ‘holy war’.

“War is always a tragedy, never an expression of God’s will. We pray for peace.

“We pray for those who have lost their lives, for those who mourn, for the wounded, the displaced, and all who live under the daily shadow of violence and fear.”

She concludes: “May God grant you courage, wisdom and hope, and may the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in the days ahead.”

Bishop Hugh arrived in Kyiv on Saturday after travelling overnight from Poland.

He met the leader of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, His Beatitude Metropolitan Epiphany, at St Michael’s Monastery complex in Old Kyiv and also visited the ancient Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Monastery (above) – a world heritage site which was badly damaged in a Russian drone and missile attack in June.

During his visit Bishop Hugh, who is the Church of England’s Bishop to the Armed Forces, also hopes to meet Ukrainian military chaplains and combat veterans as well as a range of church and civic leaders.