Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Tunis (Agenzia Fides) - Catholics in Tunisia will join Pope’s Benedict XVI initiative for a Day of Prayer and Penance on Sunday 23 July to obtain from God the gift of peace in the Middle East, Fides was informed by Fr Eugene Elias a member of the Institute of the Incarnate Word who is on mission in Tunisia. The local Catholic community in Tunis is composed mainly of foreign residents many from sub-Saharan Africa "and they know all about war and conflict and cannot remain insensitive". The Bishops’ Conference offices issued a request to all Catholic parishes and mission in Tunisia to offer special prayers for peace in communion with the Pope at Sunday Masses. "Actually this intention has been made in masses in the cathedral and elsewhere since the beginning of this latest crisis in the Middle East " the missionary said.
Fr. Elias continued quoting the Pope - “Informed of the serious conditions of the affected people the faithful realise the need to pray for an immediate cease fire, and the opening of humanitarian corridors to help the afflicted people and for reasonable and responsible negotiations to put an end to the objective situation of injustice in that region". The words of the Pope were brief but enlightened the priest said: “the Lebanese have the right to national sovereignty, the Israelis have the right to live in peace within their own state and the Palestinians have the right to a free and sovereign nation”. In a region of such tension Fr. Elias stresses "the grave responsibility of the media and the political and social leaders because information and declarations can contribute towards creating the necessary conditions for dialogue or on the contrary, exasperate souls".
He also recalls, besides the present humanitarian emergency, the ongoing humanitarian crisis, in this area where several generations have grown up “in an atmosphere of mistrust, hatred, terror and desperation ", but where there are also "many who long for a just and lasting peace, but find it difficult to make the voices heard”. And there are many who have put aside hatred and “are praying for peace and assisting the victims of the conflict". Fr. Elias says prayer is indispensable "for fostering in hearts a desire for justice and reconciliation, the starting point for seeing the human face even of the enemy and finding solutions of justice and from many possibilities, those technically most suitable for the resolution of conflict". (RG) (Agenzia Fides 22/7/2006; righe 32, parole 471)
