Ecumenical Patriarch at peace summit in Switzerland: Our common duty is to defend peace

He said this at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on Sunday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"To remain silent in front of the cruelty of war is a shame. It is our duty and mission to defend and promote peace. The driving force behind this Summit has been the emphasis on and the power of dialogue," the Ecumenical Patriarch said.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland

He noted that in addition to political interests and security issues, this dialogue includes cultural, religious and spiritual dimensions.

"This is precisely why, on the 5th of January 2019, in response to the pastoral needs of the Orthodox faith in Ukraine, the Ecumenical Patriarchate established the Orthodox Church of Ukraine as an autocephalous or self-governing ecclesiastical entity, independent of the Patriarchate of Moscow. And we did this against all odds and at all costs, because we firmly believe that the Orthodox Christians in Ukraine deserve an ecclesiastical voice of their own," Bartholomew said.

"In a sovereign Ukraine, may God grant rest to all those who have tragically lost their lives and give strength to all those who defend peace," he added.