AMERICA - All religions united for peace and fraternal coexistence: an immediate end to violence

Tuesday, 1 March 2022 wars peace violence episcopal conferences religious community

Religions for Peace

AMERICA

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From the first Latin American Church Assembly to the Synod, for a greater capacity for evangelization

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - In a joint statement regarding the Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace on March 2, the representatives of various religious confessions present in Argentina invite all its citizens "to offer a prayer from the deepest of their convictions for the prompt restoration of peace and security for those who today suffer the scourge of war". As believers and people of good will, reads the text sent to Agenzia Fides, we are concerned "by the lack of sensibility and humanity to resolve conflicts, war can never be a solution". "We reaffirm our civil duty to build coexistence and human fraternity". The declaration of the Argentine Episcopal Conference is also joined by the Commission for Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue of the Archbishopric of Buenos Aires, the Islamic Center of the Argentine Republic, DAIA, Institute of Interreligious Dialogue, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Methodist Church, the evangelical priest Marcelo Figueroa.
"Religions for Peace", an international coalition of representatives of the world's religions dedicated to the promotion of peace, of which CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) is a member, has published a statement in which it states: "United in the dignity of our diversity, all members of Religions for Peace around the world send their prayers and love to all the people involved in the latest senseless cycle of violence and conflict taking place in Ukraine. As an organization founded on a deep religious conviction for peace, inherent in all our traditions, we unreservedly reject any form of violence". The statement assures prayer for every single person involved in the conflict, for the dead and wounded, for those who have been forced to leave their homes in terror, for the citizens of Ukraine and Russia, "who without fault will suffer spiritually and materially for decades", for believers of the region of all denominations, for political leaders, to remind them of their duty to protect the life of every human being under their leadership, and to stop this senseless violence immediately. The Bishops of El Salvador also join the Day of Fasting and Prayer announced by Pope Francis, asking for peace in Ukraine and in the world. In the statement of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador it is recalled that the Holy Father "has asked all the parties involved to refrain from carrying out any action that could cause even more suffering to the population, destabilizing coexistence between nations and discrediting international law". This is why they support the Pope's appeal for March 2, and invite "everyone to respond generously and in solidarity to this call from the Pope, uniting us all in our country".
The Episcopal Conference of Colombia urges all the faithful and believers to participate in the Day of Prayer and Fasting to ask for peace. In a message, the Colombian Bishops express their concern in the face of this conflict and ask Colombians to pray. "The worsening of the situation in Ukraine worries us and demands our attention. War is not the way; we are called to seek peace. Let us pray to God so that all the parties involved refrain from any military action, lay down their arms and seek a diplomatic and dialogue solution to the conflict". The Bishops invite you to place in the hands of the Virgin of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá, patroness of Colombia and Queen of Peace, this prayer intention for reconciliation between the two nations in conflict. "Our fast on Ash Wednesday, March 2, joins in a special way the intention of the Holy Father Francis and the Day of Fasting for Peace", writes the Archbishop of Managua, Nicaragua, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, in his message for Lent which is titled an expression of St. John XXIII: "Everything is lost with war, nothing is lost with peace". "We will do this fast - writes the Cardinal - feeling the pain of Christ, the pain of the Church and of Humanity, victims of the irrationality of violence and war, which sow the pride and excessive ambition of the powerful". With Pope Francis, the Cardinal reiterates: "The diabolical senselessness of violence is answered with the weapons of God, with prayer and fasting". (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 1/3/2022)