Cluny Sisters join with Pope Francis in his call for a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Syria, the Middle East, and throughout the world on September 7th.
POPE FRANCIS
ANGELUS
Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 1st September 2013
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hello!
Today, dear brothers and sisters, I
wish to make 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.
I appeal strongly for peace, an
appeal which arises from the deep within me. How much suffering, how much
devastation, how much pain has the use of arms carried in its wake in that
martyred country, especially among civilians and the unarmed! I think of many
children will not see the light of the future! With utmost firmness I condemn
the use of chemical weapons: I tell you that those terrible images from recent
days are burned into my mind and heart. There is a judgment of God and of
history upon our actions which are inescapable! Never has the use of violence
brought peace in its wake. War begets war, violence begets violence.
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. May humanitarian workers, charged with the task of alleviating the sufferings of these people, be granted access so as to provide the necessary aid.
What can we do to make peace in the
world? As Pope John said, it pertains to each individual to establish new
relationships in human society under the mastery and guidance of justice and
love (cf. John XXIII, Pacem in Terris, [11 April 1963]: AAS 55,
[1963], 301-302).
All men and women of good will are
bound by the task of pursuing peace. I make a forceful and urgent call to the
entire Catholic Church, and also to every Christian of other confessions, as
well as to followers of every religion and to those brothers and sisters who do
not believe: peace is a good which overcomes every barrier, because it belongs
all of humanity!
I repeat forcefully: 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.
To this end, brothers and sisters, 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.
On 7 September, in Saint Peter’s
Square, here, from 19:00 until 24:00, we will gather in prayer and in a spirit
of penance, invoking God’s great gift of peace upon the beloved nation of Syria
and upon each situation of conflict and violence around the world. Humanity
needs to see these gestures of peace and to hear words of hope and peace! I ask
all the local churches, in addition to fasting, that they gather to pray for
this intention.
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. Mat, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
Prayer for
Peace in Syria
God of
Compassion,
Hear the cries of the people of Syria,
Bring healing to those suffering from the violence,
Bring comfort to those mourning the dead,
Strengthen Syria’s neighbors in their care and welcome for refugees,
Convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms,
And protect those committed to peace.
God of Hope,
Inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek reconciliation with
enemies,
Inspire the Church around the world with compassion for the people of Syria,
And give us hope for a future of peace built on justice for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
Prince of Peace and Light of the World,
Amen.
Petition: For the people of
Syria, that God may strengthen the resolve of leaders to end the fighting and
choose a future of peace.
We pray to the Lord…
This prayer is from Catholics
Confront Global Poverty. . . , a collaborative effort of USCCB and
Catholic Relief Services.
