Europe

Calling the crisis in Ukraine “a tragedy that is unfolding before our very eyes,” the Ukrainian Catholic Bishop for Britain said Russian President Vladimir Putin is “interested – at all costs – in reforming” something like the Soviet Union.

At the same time U.S. diplomats flee Ukraine amid the looming threat of a Russian invasion, Archbishop Borys Gudziak plans to follow through on a pre-planned trip and touch down in the Eastern European nation by week’s end.

The Catholic Bishops of Poland and Ukraine issue a joint appeal for dialogue and understanding to avoid the danger of war. They also join Pope Francis in his call for prayers for peace.

Expressing concern over the increasing tensions that threaten peace in Ukraine, Pope Francis calls for Wednesday 26 January to be a day of prayer for peace.