Rev. Franklin Graham, the CEO of Samaritan’s Purse, wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asking for a ceasefire in observance of Holy Week.
Between both Western and Eastern Christian churches, the observance of Holy Week would span between April 10 and April 24.
Graham, the eldest son of the late Christian evangelist Billy Graham, just returned home to North Carolina from a visit to Ukraine where he saw the efforts of his humanitarian relief organization. Samaritan’s Purse has set up an emergency field hospital in an underground parking garage in the western city of Lviv and three other medical clinics in Lviv and Chernivtsi, a city in southwest Ukraine, to assist refugees and those hurt in the war.
‘FREE TO EXPRESS DIFFERING VIEWS’: SPEAKER EMPHASIZES DIALOGUE AS AN ANSWER FOR SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
“If they can stop fighting for a week or 10 days, maybe they can stop fighting for two weeks,” Graham told Religion News Service. “If they stop for two weeks, maybe they can stop for a month. If they stop for a month, maybe they can stop for good. You’ve got to start somewhere.”
While Graham does not expect a response from Putin, he said he felt sending the message was necessary.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Graham said that Samaritan’s Purse is working on setting up a second emergency field hospital farther east in Ukraine. He declined to name the specific location while the team is setting it up, but he said it should be ready for use by this weekend.
