Pontiff called for a day of fasting and prayer for peace on 9/7
(ANSAmed) – Vatican City, September 2 – Pope Francis on Monday, in multi-lingual, impassioned message on the @Pontifex Twitter account wrote “War never again! Never again war!”.
During Sunday’s Mass in St Peter’s Square, the Argentine pontiff called for a fasting and prayer for peace “in Syria, in the entire Mideast region, and throughout the whole world” to be held next Saturday. “On the 7th of September, here [in St Peter’s Square], from 7 pm until midnight, we will gather together in prayer, in a spirit of penitence, to ask from God this great gift [of peace] for the beloved Syrian nation and for all the situations of conflict and violence in the world”, Pope Francis said.
Francis also invited non-Catholic Christians and non-Christian believers to participate in ways they feel are appropriate. “We want a peaceful world…we want to be men and women of peace,” he said.
He called on all parties “to seek negotiations” and urged the international community to take concrete steps to end conflicts, especially the war in Syria.