Contact: Don Feder, Director, WCF Communications, 508-405-1337, dfeder@rcn.com; The Howard Center for Family, Religion, & Society, 815-964-5819, media@worldcongress.org, media@profam.org

ROCKFORD, Ill., March 7, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- World Congress of Families managing director Larry Jacobs today called on the international pro-life and pro-family network to pray for peace in Ukraine. "We are concerned about the crisis in Ukraine and pray for world leaders to come together to promote peace and resolve the conflict," Jacobs said. "We echo Pope Francis's prayer, 'that all parts of the country work to overcome misunderstandings and to build together the future of the nation.' We have many Christian friends and pro-family leaders of all faiths in all regions of Ukraine.  We pray for their safety and their important work to promote authentic human rights, encourage the natural family, and protect human life from conception to natural death."

Jacobs announced that planning for a special World Congress of Families event in Ukraine's capital city of Kiev would continue. "After speaking with our friends and supporters in Ukraine, we are pleased to announce that they are continuing their efforts to organize a World Congress of Families regional meeting in Kiev this summer in collaboration with WCF leaders from Eastern Europe and Russia to promote the natural family as the fundamental unit of a free and stable society that transcends all political differences and the interests of nations and armies," he said.

Quoting from Pope Benedict XVI, Jacobs said, "peace begins at home."   He continued: "May these words inspire world leaders to true lasting peace in Ukraine...'Where does true education in peace and justice take place?  First of all, in the family, since parents are the first educators.  The family is the primary cell of society; it is in the family that children learn the human and Christian values which enable them to have a constructive and peaceful coexistence.  It is in the family that they learn solidarity between the generations, respect for rules, forgiveness and how to welcome others.  The family is the first school in which we are trained in justice and peace.'" Jacobs concluded, "Amen.  May it be so."

For more information on World Congress of Families, visit www.worldcongress.org. To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at 508-405-1337 or dfeder@rcn.com.

What is the Howard Center?  The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society (www.profam.org) is located in Rockford, Illinois and is an independent, non-profit research and education center that provides sound scholarship and effective strategies to affirm and defend the natural family, thus renewing a stable and free society.  The Howard Center is the publisher of the journal, "The Family In America" and is also the organizer of the World Congress of Families (WCF) project which is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and inter-faith people of goodwill from more than 80 countries that seek to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society (as found in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948).  The WCF was founded in 1997 by Dr. Allan Carlson, President of The Howard Center.  To date, there have been five World Congresses of Families -- Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004), Warsaw, Poland (2007) and Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2009).  World Congress of Families VI was held in Madrid, Spain in May 25-27, 2012.  World Congress of Families VII was held in Sydney, Australia, May 15-18, 2013, www.wcfsydney2013.org.au.