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The Pope and Syria: let
us raise a strong cry for peace
Pope Francis General
Audience September 5, 2013 1:40 length
Dear Daniel,
Brothers and sisters, I
have decided to proclaim for the whole Church on 7 September, 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.
Mary, Queen of Peace,
pray for us!
- Pope Francis
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