Catholic Bishops of England & Wales concelebrate Divine Liturgy in solidarity with the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Hlib, praying for the Church in Ukraine and for peace.

At the spring residential meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales, His Grace Bishop Hlib Lonchyna, eparchial bishop of the Eparchy of the Holy Family of London, for Ukrainian Greek Catholics in Britain, served the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

The entire England & Wales episcopate concelebrated. This was the first time the Ukrainian Greek Catholic had celebrated the Eucharist for the meeting of the Bishops’ Conference and the first time the Latin hierarchy had concelebrated as a body together the Liturgy of an Eastern Church.

As the report from the Conference shows, the whole hierarchy was concerned to show their concern for the people of Ukraine, to pray for peace and to show their communion and support for the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

They also prayed for God’s blessing on the forthcoming visit of Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, and for Catholic-Orthodox unity.

See the Bishops’ statement here: http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/Home/News/Plenary-May-2014/Ukraine-Background