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| Dove with Olive Branch Mosaic detail on floor of the Church of the Visitation, Ein Karem |
His Holiness Pope Francis has called for a day of fasting
and prayer for peace in Syria, in the entire Mideast region, and throughout the
whole world to be held this coming Saturday, September 7th, 2013. The Pope made
the announcement during the course of remarks before the traditional Angelus
prayer this Sunday.
Our Holy Father said, “I wish to add my voice to the
cry which rises up with increasing anguish from every part of the world, from
every people, from the heart of each person, from the one great family which is
humanity: it is the cry for peace! It is a cry which declares with force: we
want a peaceful world, we want to be men and women of peace, and we want in our
society, torn apart by divisions and conflict, that peace break out! War never
again! Never again war! Peace is a precious gift, which must be promoted and
protected.
There are so many conflicts in this world which cause me great suffering and worry, but in these days my heart is deeply wounded in particular by what is happening in Syria and anguished by the dramatic developments which are looming….
With all my strength, I ask each party in this conflict to listen to the voice of their own conscience, not to close themselves in solely on their own interests, but rather to look at each other as brothers and decisively and courageously to follow the path of encounter and negotiation, and so overcome blind conflict. With similar vigour I exhort the international community to make every effort to promote clear proposals for peace in that country without further delay, a peace based on dialogue and negotiation, for the good of the entire Syrian people. May no effort be spared in guaranteeing humanitarian assistance to those wounded by this terrible conflict, in particular those forced to flee and the many refugees in nearby countries….
It is neither a culture of confrontation nor a culture of
conflict which builds harmony within and between peoples, but rather a culture
of encounter and a culture of dialogue; this is the only way to peace. May the
plea for peace rise up and touch the heart of everyone so that they may lay
down their weapons and be let themselves be led by the desire for peace.
I have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7
September next, the vigil of the birth of Mary, Queen of Peace, a day of
fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the
world, and I also invite each person, including our fellow Christians,
followers of other religions and all men of good will, to participate, in
whatever way they can, in this initiative….
Let us ask Mary to help us to respond to violence, to conflict and to war, with the power of dialogue, reconciliation and love. She is our mother: may she help us to find peace; all of us are her children! Help us, Mary, to overcome this most difficult moment and to dedicate ourselves each day to building in every situation an authentic culture of encounter and peace. Mary, Queen of Peace, pray for us!”
For the full text of the Holy
Father's appeal please visit:
http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-angelus-appeal-for-peace-full-text
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| Artist Diane Andraska presents image of Mary, Queen of Peace to the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Fouad Twal, accompanied by Karen Hurley, President of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations, during the 2010 Assembly in Jerusalem + |
To all the families
ReplyDeleteDear friends,
Pope Francis’ invitation to a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria and in all nations affected by the tragedy of war calls to be accepted by all of us with great seriousness and commitment.
The images that have circulated worldwide and the continuing tragic news question our hearts, our minds, and our faith. I invite you, therefore, to accept the Pope’s proposal and to make in your own home a gesture of fasting and prayer.
Dear Parents, do not be afraid to propose an austere and minimal lunch to your children; it will be an opportunity to explain to them what is happening in the world and how these terrible things cannot leave us indifferent. Together with the harshness of the news, don’t forget to communicate the hope of peace offered by the risen Jesus, who has reconciled the world not with violent and vindictive acts but through the gift of Himself.
Don’t forget to invite the grandparents and the elderly to this meal composed of little food and many words; if anyone has experienced moments of war stories, let him or her tell about it means to live under the bombs and with uncertainty about tomorrow as well as the sense of their pray during days.
And you, children and young people, don’t complain if, on Saturday, there aren’t any big dishes on the table; but rather thank your parents for what they are in fact offering to you, and ask them for explanations and reasons of why it’s worth continuing to live in this land, too often marked by mourning and violence.
Together, at the table, pray! For families of Syria, for the children who die every day from hunger and hatred, for the governmental leaders who called to find peaceful and non-violent solutions. Reciting a psalm, reading a Gospel passage, praying a part of the Rosary, prayers freely expressed aloud, a simple hymn; every household can choose the best way to intercede or to place itself between of the mystery of the evil that marks our history and the God of peace who heals and saves it.
Thank you!
+ Vincenzo Paglia
President of the Pontifical Council for the Family
Vatican City, September 4th, 2013