Several bishops’ conferences around the world have echoed
Pope Leo XIV’s call to pray for peace on April 11.
During his “
Urbi et Orbi” (“to the city and the world”) message on Easter Sunday, the Holy Father called for a prayer vigil for peace to be held Saturday at
St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Responding to that call, the president of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops,
Archbishop Paul Coakley, made “a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father’s
Vigil for Peace, whether virtually or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts to join with our Holy Father as we pray for peace in our world.”
The pontiff encouraged the faithful to join together to make heard “the cry for peace that springs from our hearts” and warned against growing indifference: “We are growing accustomed to
violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent.”
“Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people,” he continued, “indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel.”
“Let us halt the whirlwind of pain, suffering, and devastation; let us say our ‘no’ to war, and let us not grow accustomed to the horror,” the cardinal said.
“The peace that
Christ offers us is both a gift and a mission. This peace is built by learning to transform conflicts into opportunities for
forgiveness rather than into excuses for violence. Therefore, peace within the family and community is a daily task that requires a generous heart, willing to forgive,” the Mexican bishops stated.
The prelate will lead the vigil at
San Vicente el Real Church at 9 p.m. local time in communion with the initiative promoted by the Holy Father.
“Peace lies at the heart of the Gospel and at the center of human aspirations,” said Aguado, who urged the faithful to make a personal commitment to be builders of peace.
Likewise,
Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, invited local churches to participate in the day of prayer.
“In a world increasingly marked by conflict and the ‘
globalization of indifference,’ the Holy Father has invited the entire Church to unite in prayer, exhorting everyone to implore the gift of peace and to renew our commitment to
dialogue, reconciliation, and nonviolence,” he said in a statement.
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