Agenzia Fides

Jerusalem (Agenzia Fides) – On 29 and 30 January 2011 the third International Day of Intercession for Peace in the Holy Land will be celebrated, a prayer initiative which arose from the desire of various associations of Catholic youth, who, on this third Day foresee include the involvement of 2,000 cities around the world which will gather simultaneously in prayer. “This initiative intends to remind the world that the conflict in the Holy Land must be placed in the context of God's plan,” wrote Archbishop Antonio Franco, Apostolic Nuncio in Israel and Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem, in the message addressed to all those who promote and participate in this day of intercession. “Our prayers on this occasion, are intended not only to petition God, but also to support and accompany the human effort made by politicians and diplomats who seek paths for resolution,” continues the message. This emphasises that like the invitation of the Psalmist, to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem,” (Ps 122:6) “this is more the case today than ever.” “Jerusalem, to which the whole world's gaze is turned, is the city where the incredible and the impossible happened. Thus, from there the message of hope must be issued that peace is possible and that God will carry out,” concluded Archbishop Franco.
The third International Day of Intercession for Peace in the Holy Land is being held under the patronage of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and follows on from the recent Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Middle East. The 24 hours of uninterrupted prayer will begin Saturday, 29 January between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm in the Holy Land, in conjunction with the “Fifth Extraordinary Prayer for all Churches, for Reconciliation, Unity and Peace, beginning in Jerusalem” coinciding in turn with the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity celebrated in Jerusalem. The Extraordinary Prayer for all Churches will be broadcast on global television networks. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 01/28/2011)

Link correlati

• The complete text of Archbishop Franco's message, in Italian