Bruce Kent speaking at a rally by Stop the War & CND in Trafalgar Square to call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the withdrawal of all Russian troops.
Peter Marshall/Alamy
CND vice-president Bruce Kent has warned of the dangers of nuclear war, describing the Ukraine crisis as “a terrifying wake-up call”.
Speaking at a rally of several thousand people, including a large number of Ukrainians, Poles and Russians, many carrying blue and yellow Ukrainian flags, he added: “We are wasting billions on nuclear weapons which could be used for hospitals and education.” At the rally, in Trafalgar Square last Sunday, organised by CND and the Stop the War Coalition, he appealed for the UK government to sign the new UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to treat refugees from the Ukraine and elsewhere with compassion.
The bishops of Britain and Ireland have urged Catholics to sustain prayers for peace in Ukraine throughout Lent, and demanded that governments welcome refugees, as charities increased their support for those affected by the war.
Bishops including Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, and Eamonn Martin, the Archbishop of Armagh, called for “an open and generous welcome to those who seek refuge” in a joint statement.
The presidents and vice-presidents of the bishops’ conferences of England and Wales, Ireland, and Scotland issued the statement following a meeting in London on Friday.
They encouraged Christians everywhere, and particularly Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, “to join in solidarity with us in daily spiritual and practical efforts for a ceasefire”.
They asked “all who have an instinct for God to raise their hearts and minds in prayer for peace”.
On Ash Wednesday, Archbishop Martin asked “that during the season of Lent our acts of fasting, prayer, and charity might keep in mind the people of Ukraine and all those in areas of conflict”. Pope Francis had asked Catholics to offer their prayers and fasting on Ash Wednesday for peace in Ukraine.
Cafod launched its humanitarian appeal for Ukraine as part of this Day of Prayer, and has joined the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for Ukrainian refugees. This has raised £100 million in its first four days, of which the British government has promised to match £25 million.
The charity had already committed £100,000 to its Caritas Internationalis partners in Ukraine, where over four million people are believed to have fled their homes.
Jo Kitterick, the Cafod’s director of fundraising, said: “We are in awe of the love, generosity, and courage shown by our Caritas colleagues and volunteers working day and night to help the most vulnerable.” Cafod also encouraged its supporters to write to ministers demanding legal routes into for refugees into the UK.
Depaul, who recently launched an appeal for aid to Ukraine, has been coordinating humanitarian relief across Europe. A Depaul response manager in Slovakia, speaking to The Tablet, said that the response from ordinary people had so far been extraordinary: “Everyone is trying to do something to help.”
Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the apostolic nuncio to Great Britain, joined Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, the Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the UK, and Archbishop Angaelos, the head of the Coptic Church, at another protest in Trafalgar Square, last Saturday. He said that he brought “the solidarity and closeness of Pope Francis”. He told protestors, “Today we are all Ukrainian, all in solidarity with you.”
Earlier in the week, the Prince of Wales promised support from his own charities on a visit to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic cathedral in Mayfair. Bishop Nowakowski welcomed the support and encouraged UK citizens “to donate funds to reputable organisations providing aid, and to keep talking about this and stay informed”.
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