On the occasion of Independence Day, a joint prayer for Ukraine took place at Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.
President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska participated in the prayer, Ukrinform reports citing the presidential press service.
Prayers were delivered by Primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Epiphanius, Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Sviatoslav, Mufti of the Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine Sheikh Ahmed Tamim, Head of the Kyiv-Zhytomyr Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine Vitalii Kryvytskyi, Head of the All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christians-Baptists Valerii Antoniuk, Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Church of the Christian Faith of Evangelical Christians Anatoliy Kozachok, and Deputy Secretary General of the Ukrainian Bible Society Anatolii Raichynets.
Also present were representatives of other religious organizations, including President of the Ukrainian Union Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church Roman Prodaniuk, Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Christian Evangelical Church Serhii Lokshyn, Senior Bishop of the Ukrainian Evangelical Church Oleksandr Zaitsev, Bishop of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine Pavlo Shvarts, Bishop of the Ukrainian Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church Marcos Hovhannisyan, Supreme Mufti of Crimea Ayder Rustemov, Representative of Jewish Religious Organizations of Ukraine Avraham Elimelech Bleich, and Deputy Bishop of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church Viacheslav Kliuchkei.
Foreign religious leaders also attended, including American evangelical pastor Mark Burns of the Harvest Praise and Worship Center and Edward Greem, Chief Operating Officer of Samaritan’s Purse.
Clergy prayed for peace, freedom, and prosperity in Ukraine, blessings for the Ukrainian people, the release of prisoners, healing of the wounded, and strength and support for Ukraine’s defenders.
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As reported, on Independence Day, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, U.S. President’s Special ENvoy Keith Kellogg, and defense ministers from Sweden, Denmark, Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Canada, as well as the UK Minister for Veterans, visited Ukraine.
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
