Diary of Resilience/ Mridula Ghosh/Kyiv
Faith and freedom, one may say, are mutually exclusive. The first presupposes a certain degree of unconditional acceptance and lack of questioning, the latter is the opposite. It honours critical thinking and choice. However, the notion of freedom emerges from the connection between the human will and supreme reality. To this end, all religions in the world profess tolerance and respect towards each other, a fact reinforced during the National Prayer Breakfast held on August 25 in Kyiv under the patronage of the president of Ukraine. The meeting serves as a space for sincere dialogue on values, faith, freedom, responsibility and the power of collective prayer in the darkest moments of history.
This year, the event culminated in a global interfaith 24-hour prayer initiative beginning on Ukraine’s independence day, August 24. Attending the prayer meeting, I felt that the entire world came together for Ukraine. Of the 1,200 participants, around 350 were international guests from over 50 countries.
The format originates from the first prayer gathering initiated by Jesus Christ on the shores of the Sea of Galilee with his apostles as recorded in the Gospel of Luke. The modern tradition of prayer breakfasts for internal harmony began in the US in 1953 when president Dwight Eisenhower attended, establishing a precedent followed by his successors and later other countries. Today prayer breakfasts are held in more than 70 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. The Ukrainian diaspora in the US played a crucial role, establishing the Ukrainian Prayer Breakfast in Washington and the Ukrainian Week in Washington held annually. Ukrainian parliamentarians have been attending these since the late 2000s.
Christian parliamentarians started the National Prayer Breakfast in Ukraine in 2009, which soon became a yearly tradition. Last year, it was held under the patronage of President Volodymyr Zelensky for the first time. In 2025, it continued as a tool of Ukraine’s “soft power”, becoming more interdenominational and inclusive, uniting Orthodox, Greek and Roman Catholics, Protestants as well as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and others. Politicians of all stripes also participated. Civil society organisations such as the Ukrainian Bible Society, Caritas Ukraine, ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Ukraine and Ukrainian foundations like Good Samaritan and Nadiya are part of this breakfast. They help wounded soldiers, their families and children, provide humanitarian aid and support reconstruction of war-affected communities. Both national and international media covered the event held in Kyiv.
Religious leaders from across the world sent messages of support. Pope Leo XIV expressed hope that the war would end and prayed for a just and lasting peace. “I ask the Lord to expedite the return of civilians, POWs and children who were deported or forcibly separated from their families, to heal wounded families, comfort those who lost loved ones and bring spiritual renewal to the entire Ukrainian people.” Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell highlighted the spirit of unity and hope that brings together clergy, government officials and friends of Ukraine worldwide to pursue peace and justice, support those who have lost family members or homes, honour the armed forces and spiritual leaders and promote reconciliation among people of faith.
Underscoring the difficult peace process, US special presidential envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg stressed the plight of the civil population and the more than 19,000 abducted children. Speaking to a television channel, he expressed hope that by Ukraine’s next independence day, the country would celebrate under a peaceful sky. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said that despite the teachings in holy books, the war unleashed death, disrespecting life. “We know Putin can end the war now, this moment, but we have to support the struggle of Ukraine with our resources, morale and prayers.”
Volunteers, chaplains, people who lost their relatives, survivors of Russian torture cells as well as the best professional performers were on stage, weaving a canopy of the effects of the war and paving the road for reconciliation. We could hear prayers by the Mufti of Ukraine Sheikh Akhmed Tamim and the Rabbi Moshe Reuven Azman, songs by famous singer Tina Karol and poetry by Artur Dron, poet and frontline fighter. US spiritual leader Mark Burns prayed and pointed out the divisive and aggressive rhetoric of the Russian Orthodox Church calling it a “holy war” against Ukraine. Clergy from occupied territories at the breakfast confirmed the horrors committed by Russian church personnel. One table was set aside for the soldiers who were killed, with their personal belongings like caps and pens reminding the world of their supreme sacrifice.
Zelensky appeared at the end and summed up the meeting by saying that there will be victory in this battle between good and evil, and that victory would come not only because of the immense material and defence aid, but also spiritual support. Looming large was the critical need for more resources and the Norwegian and Canadian prime ministers as guests at the meeting could conclude several tangible agreements that were beyond the programme of the breakfast.
For some hours there were no air alert sirens. The most poignant moment came when each participant was asked to pray for a child killed in this war, whose name was given on a paper. My paper read “Victoria, 9 years, Kyiv”. I lifted up a candle and prayed for her peace. Her name might speed up the victory, I thought. Definitely the morale, spirit and patriotism of the people are boosted by such events, a much needed element in these dark times. In the words of the national poet of Ukraine, Taras Shevchenko, “Love your Ukraine. Love her in fierce times of evil. In the last, most difficult moment, pray to God for her.”
Mridula Ghosh, formerly with the UN, is associate professor of international relations in Kyiv.