Caracas (Agenzia Fides) - The Bishops' Conference of Venezuela and the national Catholic Laity Council have called the country to three days of prayer. The announcement was made at a press conference by Bishop Saúl Figueroa, auxiliary Bishop of Caracas and president of the Bishops' Commission for the Laity, and Eligio Quintero, representing the Laity Commission.
The first day, on 18 October, "One Million Children Pray for Peace", will be a nation-wide initiative involving schools, religious communities, homes, parishes etc. from 9am onwards. The initiative was started in Caracas in 2005 to stress the importance of teaching children to pray for peace since peace begins in the heart; the necessity to pray for peace and unity in the family, in the country, in the world. The initiative is spreading to other countries.
The second day 20 October, will be a special Mass at 10.30am in the city of Guanare, on the occasion of the national Marian shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto being raised by Pope Benedict XVI to the rank of Minor Basilica, in the margin of the 36th special assembly of the Venezuelan Bishops Conference. The Mass will be presided by Cardinal Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino, Archbishop of Caracas, and concelebrated by the country's archbishops, bishops and numerous priests. The Bishop of Guanare, Bishop José Sótero Valero, has invited the people of Venezuela to a prayer vigil at the Shrine of Our Lady of Coromoto on 19 October.
The third initiative on 28 October is National Day of Prayer for the Nation in which all Catholics and men and women of good will are encouraged to take part.
At the press conference it was announced that the National Catholic Laity Council is about to issue a statement on Constitutional Reforms in Venezuela to express an opinion from the viewpoint of Catholic Social Teaching. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 16/10/2007; righe 26, parole 359)