Russia's insidious attack on Ukraine has caused horror for us at the Institute in Strasbourg, as it has for so many people around the world. We are shocked by the brutality of a war that is causing unimaginable suffering for the people of Ukraine and setting back efforts to build a stable peace order in Europe by decades. At the same time, we fear for all those in Russia who are involuntarily drawn into this war. We know about the powerlessness of our ecumenical partners, who have to take responsibility for what is not in their interest. We therefore sincerely hope that ways out of this senseless war will be found as soon as possible, that the Russian government will come to its senses and that further victims will be avoided. In the words of the well-known hymn found in many of our hymnals, we pray, "Gib Frieden, Herr, gib Frieden, die Welt nimmt schlimmen Lauf!" ("Give peace, Lord, give peace, the world is taking a bad turn!") Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
As a member of the board of the "Society for the Study of the Christian East" (Gesellschaft zum Studium des Christlichen Ostens - GSCO), the interim director of our institute is responsible for a statement, which we would like to endorse at this point: