Press Release No: 09/26
17 September 2026
Brussels
A newly released short film Not Alone brings powerful excerpts from the conference, “Resisting Empire, Promoting Peace: Churches Confront the Russian World Ideology,” held in Helsinki in December 2025.
Organised by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) at the invitation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Orthodox Church of Finland, the ecumenical gathering is portrayed in the 14-minute production as a discerning moment for the voice of European churches.
Passionate speakers, collective lamentation, and prayerful hope are all depicted against a backdrop of images from Helsinki during Advent season.
“We gathered as churches and individual Christians, and we have a vital responsibility to resist imperial ideas and attitudes that diminish human dignity, identity and freedom. When power is placed above people, and religious language is used to justify violence, the consequences are devastating —bringing suffering, destruction and death,” explains Katerina Pekridou, CEC Programme Officer for Theology and Studies.
“In such moments, the Church must not remain silent. Following Christ, we are called to stand with those who suffer, resist what destroys life, and work for peace. Above all, we want those facing war, fear and loss to know they are not alone. This is our shared calling and witness. This is why we stand together —not alone,” she added.
Modern problems
H.E. Metropolitan Yevstratiy of Bila Tserkva, representing the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, says: “I think for many people, the problem of empires and imperialism sounds like something from history, from previous decades or even previous centuries.”
But now, he adds, we can see that the problem of imperialism exists in our contemporary lives. “Not just in our part of Europe, in our countries situated next to Russia but in the Far East and in many other places,” Metropolitan Yevstratiy says. “We must bring them hope that they are not alone—they must know they are not alone.
Genuine Christian values?
The conference released a statement Churches Confront the ‘Russian World’ Ideology which is linked into the film.
The statement underscores that Russia’s war against Ukraine—fuelled by the ‘Russian World’ ideology—is a military, political, and humanitarian assault that threatens both the lives of millions and the democratic foundations of Europe.
CEC continues to work for dialogue and peacebuilding, with a particular focus on Ukraine through its Pathways to Peace initiative.
In the film, Rt. Rev. Dr Dagmar Winter, CEC Vice-President, Church of England, sums up the crux of the conference: “The question is: how do we decide what our values are and whether they are the genuine Christian values?” she asks. “I hope that Pathways to Peace will work together with open eyes, with great honesty, to discover together, to discuss together, finding those pathways that take us forward on that Christian journey that must lead us home to the one God of all people.”
Film credits
Introduction: Lida Silfverhuth, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Additional camera: Mikael Kinanen, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland
Translation: Dr Natallia Vasilevich, Ecumenical Patriarchate
Production: Pfeffer-Media
Learn more about Pathways to Peace
For more information or an interview, please contact:
Naveen Qayyum
Communications Coordinator
Conference of European Churches
Rue Joseph II, 174 B-1000 Brussels
Tel. +32 486 75 82 36
E-mail: naveen@cec-kek.be
Website: www.ceceurope.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ceceurope
Twitter: @ceceurope
YouTube: Conference of European Churches