By Junno Arocho Esteves
VATICAN
CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis called on Catholics and Orthodox Christians to pray
for children in Syria who are suffering because of the ongoing conflict in the
country.
“The children of Syria invite children from all over
the world to join in their
prayer for peace” on International Children’s Day June 1, he said.
Before praying the Angelus May 29, the
pope said Catholic
and Orthodox Christians would be taking part together in the special prayer for
peace and that the children were “the protagonists” by inviting all
the world’s children to unite with them in prayer.
The
joint Day of Prayer for Peace, sponsored by the Catholic charity Aid to the
Church in Need, is one of several initiatives meant to promote peace in Syria.
The
pope’s invitation echoes that of Catholic leaders and Orthodox patriarchs in
the country, who signed a joint message inviting Christians around the world to
join them in praying for peace.
The
message says: “We pray to him — the Christ, the king of the universe, who
carries the world in his hand, in the arms of his mother — to bless all the children
of Syria. We implore him, who alone can bring peace: ‘Protect and save the
children of this land! Hear our prayers, now! Delay no longer in granting peace
to our land! Look upon the tears of the children; dry the tears of the mothers;
let the cries of grief at last fall silent!'”
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Follow Arocho on Twitter: @arochoju.
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