Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has thanked churches and congregations for supporting refugees from Ukraine.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government, was commenting during a Welsh Conservative debate on the war-torn country.
He said:
I would like to thank the people of Wales for their response, support and friendship provided to the people of Ukraine. I'd particularly like to focus on a group of people and organisations that continue to heavily support them. This is our churches and their congregations across Wales, no matter their denomination.
Over the past 12 months, through the Welcome Churches network alone, which is an organisation supporting churches to support refugees, over 1,000 churches have welcomed nearly 18,000 refugees across the UK, providing help and support to those who desperately need it.
When we talk about support for people that includes their faith, in particular during a time of trauma and hardship. This is extremely important for our friends in Ukraine, because around 85% of people in Ukraine identify as having a Christian faith, with nearly one in five in Ukraine attending a church service every single week.
Mr Rowlands commended and thanked churches and the church more broadly, and other faith groups, for stepping up during this time and ensuring that those who find comfort and solace in faith are being welcomed into church communities with open arms.
In closing the debate, he added:
Now is the time for all of us to continue being united in doing what we can to support our Ukrainian friends, whilst holding Putin and his allies responsible for their barbaric and indiscriminate attacks on innocent Ukrainian civilians.
Sam Rowlands AS yn amlygu cefnogaeth ar draws Cymru i ffoaduriaid Wcráin
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi diolch i eglwysi a’u haddolwyr am gefnogi ffoaduriaid o Wcráin.
Gwnaeth Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid, y sylw yn ystod dadl y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig ar y wlad sydd wedi'i rhwygo gan y rhyfel.
Meddai:
Hoffwn ddiolch i bobl Cymru am eu hymateb, eu cefnogaeth a’u cyfeillgarwch i bobl Wcráin. Hoffwn ganolbwyntio'n arbennig ar grŵp o bobl a sefydliadau sy'n parhau i'w cefnogi i’r carn. Dyma ein heglwysi a'u haddolwyr ledled Cymru, beth bynnag eu henwad.
Dros y 12 mis diwethaf, drwy rwydwaith Welcome Churches yn unig, sef sefydliad sy'n cefnogi eglwysi i gefnogi ffoaduriaid, mae dros 1,000 o eglwysi wedi croesawu bron i 18,000 o ffoaduriaid ledled y DU, gan ddarparu cymorth a chefnogaeth i'r rhai sydd ei angen gymaint.
Pam rydym ni’n siarad am gefnogaeth i bobl, mae hynny’n cynnwys eu ffydd, yn enwedig yn ystod cyfnod o drawma a chaledi. Mae hyn yn hynod bwysig i'n ffrindiau yn Wcráin, gan fod tua 85% o bobl yn Wcráin yn nodi eu bod yn Gristnogion, gyda bron i un o bob pump yn Wcráin yn mynychu gwasanaeth eglwysig bob un wythnos.
Cafwyd canmoliaeth a diolch gan Mr Rowlands i eglwysi a'r eglwys yn ehangach, a grwpiau ffydd eraill, am gamu i’r adwy yn ystod y cyfnod hwn a sicrhau bod y rhai sy'n dod o hyd i gysur mewn ffydd yn cael eu croesawu i gymunedau eglwysig gyda breichiau agored.
Wrth gloi'r ddadl, ychwanegodd:
Dyma'r amser i bob un ohonom ni barhau i fod yn unedig wrth wneud popeth allwn ni i gefnogi ein ffrindiau Wcrainaidd, tra'n dal Putin a'i gynghreiriaid i gyfrif am eu hymosodiadau barbaraidd a diwahân ar bobl ddiniwed Wcráin.
