Evil is not limitless. Violence is not all-powerful. War is not the ultimate reality. The words of the president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE), Mgr Gintaras Grušas, are a hymn to peace and a warning to rediscover the strength of prayer and the mercy of God, in a world torn by war and fear. The occasion was the Eucharistic celebration that the Archbishop presided over on March 9, at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Vilnius, within the framework of the Eucharistic Chain, the Lenten initiative of the CCEE, which brings together all European Churches in the prayer for peace in Ukraine, the Holy Land and other conflict zones.
Peace is therefore, in Mgr GruÅ¡as’ homily, a special intention, but also the necessary path to follow in actions. Reflecting on the biblical story of Naaman, the Archbishop of Vilnius observed that God often works through what appears small or simple. In the same way, prayer for peace may seem insignificant, yet it is essential. In particular, he focused on the significance of Vilnius in the message of Divine Mercy given to Faustina Kowalska: “Vilnius,” he said, “is the city where, through Saint Faustina, the world listened again to the message of the mercy of God. It is here that the picture of Merciful Jesus was painted. It was here that the truth was once again recalled that evil does not have the last word.”
Recognizing the importance of the political and diplomatic efforts that have been made to date also to silence the guns throughout the Middle East region, the CCEE president warned that without prayer, these “remain only human efforts without the light of God.” The prayer for peace, which unites the Episcopal Conferences not only of the Old Continent, but also of other organizations in the world, must therefore not be underestimated. Citing Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the 2026 World Day of Peace, he reminded the faithful that “before being an objective, peace is a presence and a journey.” In the sanctuary of Divine Mercy, this message resounds in a particular way. As Saint John Paul II taught, Divine Mercy is in fact the force that places a limit on evil in the world: “Evil is not without limit. Violence is not all-powerful. War is not the ultimate reality. God’s mercy is stronger.” Turning his gaze to the current situation of death and danger for so many people, the prelate recognized the suffering caused by ongoing conflicts: “Today the world is wounded again. Ukraine is suffering. The Holy Land is bleeding. Many conflicts remain in the shadows,” but prayer for peace is never useless, never insignificant, on the contrary, “each heart that invokes God becomes a place in which we place a limit to evil. Peace begins with a heart that allows God to purify it.”
At the end of the Mass, Bishop GruÅ¡as also invited the faithful to the next World Apostolic Congress of Mercy, which will be held in Vilnius from June 7 to 12, 2026 and whose motto will be: “Building the city of mercy.”
