We're joined now on #PacificDays by Right Rev Hamish Galloway, Moderator for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand to talanoa about the statement from the leaders of New Zealand's four main denominations Presbyterian, Catholic, Anglican & Methodist Churches in N.Z. on the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Full statement below:

Leaders of New Zealand’s four main Christian denominations have released a statement on Russian aggression in Ukraine.  

Statement on Ukraine    

Across the globe people are horrified by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.     

In a region that learnt the devastating lessons of war last century, the pattern has the tragic possibility of repeating. It flies in the face of much of the progress in peaceful coexistence that Europe has made in recent decades.     

Once again, on European soil, we see the rights and wellbeing of millions of ordinary people trampled on by an aggressive and entitled leader.    

It also flies in the face of the Jesus-values of peace-making. In this instance, those values call us to stand against violence and stand with the oppressed.     

Those values call for de-escalation and peace talks.     

They call for humility and kindness.     

As Christians we stand in solidarity with the vast chorus of voices calling for the aggression to end and the peaceful solutions to begin.  

Signed: 

Right Rev Hamish Galloway                                         Andrew Doubleday  

Moderator                                                                     President  

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand            Methodist Church of New Zealand  

Cardinal John A Dew                                                     Archbishop Don Tamihere &  

Catholic Church Archbishop of Wellington,                  Archbishop Philip Richardson      

New Zealand                                                                 Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia  

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