ZAGREB, 26 Feb 2022 - The head of the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Križevci, a diocese of the Catholic Church for Eastern Catholics of Byzantine Rite in the northern Croatia, on Friday expressed solidarity with all in Ukraine affected by the war.

Bishop Milan Stipić issued a letter in which he expressed "Christian and brotherly solidarity" with the Ukrainians.

Last October, the Greek Catholic Eparchy of Križevci, marked the 120th anniversary of the arrival of ethnic Ukrainians in Croatia, and in attendance at the ceremony was Ambassador Vasyl Kyrylych. Ukrainians started settling in Croatia at the beginning of the 20th century, most of them had come from western Ukraine in Craotian areas that used to be parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time.

The reverend recalls that his eparchy included believers of the Ukrainian ethnicity and that they are very concerned about the destiny of their family members and relatives in Ukraine.

"We, together with the whole Christian world, appeal to world leaders for finding a peaceful solution to the current conflict and for the end of the hostilities in Ukraine as well as for making efforts to prevent the spillover of this conflict to other parts of the world," Stipić says in his letter.

The Caritas charity of this eparchy is also collecting funds for the assistance to Ukraine.

The Greek Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See.