The head of the World Council of Churches Rev. Ioan Sauca has asked Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to mediate so that the war between Russia and Ukraine can be stopped.

The letter was sent on to the Russian patriarch on March 2, the sixth day since the Russian invasion of its neighbor that has drawn widespread global condemnation from countries and at the United Nations.

"It is with great pain and with a breaking heart that I am writing to Your Holiness," wrote Sauca. "The tragic situation of the war in Ukraine has brought tremendous suffering and loss of lives."

The Russian Orthodox Church is the world's biggest in the Orthodox tradition and Sauca is from the Orthodox Church of Romania.

Kirill is known to have the ear of Russian Presdient Vladimir Putin.

"The whole world is looking with concern and expects to see a sign of hope for a peaceful solution. I receive letters every day from different parts of the world, from church leaders and the faithful of our WCC constituency asking to approach Your Holiness to mediate so that the war can be stopped and the great suffering ended," wrote Sauca.

He said that "in these times of hopelessness," many people look to Kiril as someon who could bring a sign of hope for a peaceful solution.

"I write to Your Holiness as acting general secretary of the WCC but also as an Orthodox priest.

"Please, raise up your voice and speak on behalf of the suffering brothers and sisters, most of whom are also faithful members of our Orthodox Church."