VATICAN: Vatican official Ask Consecrated Persons to Entrust those Affected by the “Horror and War” to Mary
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
Following the ongoing atrocities in various countries across the globe including Ukraine, Church leaders from the Vatican have called on all Consecrated men and women to pray unceasingly and entrust the victims of war to the Mother of God.
In a message shared with AMECEA Online Friday, March 11, the Church leaders João Braz Cardinal de Aviz and Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo the Prefect and Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life respectively, told the Religious: “Let us embrace the men, women and children who live in the Ukraine and in all countries deeply marked by war, or by internal clashes and violence. Let us entrust to the Mother of God the suffering, the life and the death of so many of our brothers and sisters affected by the horror and senselessness of war.”
In the co-signed letter from the Dicastery, the prelates lament, “What we feared has happened, war has happened once again, on the streets and among the people it has returned to a continent that seemed to have learned from the atrocities of the past; it has returned bringing with it the risk of a new world conflict. It has returned and brought before our eyes the drama that millions of people in other parts of the world are living.”
They said to Religious men and women, referencing Pope Francis’ message, that as they share more in the pain of those who are suffering, the more prayers are intensified to the God of peace “who has become close to our lives and has compassion to the fate of wounded humanity.”
As the Vatican official share their closeness to all the peoples experiencing wars they highlight in their Friday message, “In the school of so many holy founders and foundresses, of so many Consecrated men and women, we believe in the power of prayer.”
They urged the Consecrated persons to pray that “war may cease, that an economy that kills may not win that love may replace hate, solidarity replace indifference, and that dialogue may be stronger than weapon.”
They appealed to each and every Consecrated person to make prayer a priority and involve others irrespective of their religion saying, “Let us pray in solitude, in our communities, let us promote opportunities for prayer, let us do so wherever possible together with our brothers and sisters of the Christian churches, going to them to express our desire to share, let us involve others in this prayer.”
Entrusting the entire world to Mary Queen of Peace, the Church leaders emphasized to the Religious not to “tire with praying.”
“With the same passion, let us make gestures of peace wherever we are, together with every man and woman of good will,” they said in their collective message adding, “Let us allow ourselves to be converted by the Holy Spirit so that our lives may speak and be in meekness and truth, a witness to the mercy of which the Father grants us the gift.”
