org/AICA. Lay Catholics in Argentina have urged the whole world to pray “one minute for peace” with Pope Francis, following his invitation to presidents Shimon Peres of Israel and Mahmud Abbas from Palestine to pray in the Vatican on Sunday, 8 June, on the Feast of Pentecost. “Everyday but especially on Friday 6 June at 1.00 pm,” they appealed. They also call on the faithful to prepare Pope Francis’ gesture with permanent prayer. “Wherever you happen to be at 1.00p m, stop, bow your head and pray for peace, everyone according to his own tradition,” is their suggestion, recalling Pope Francis’ words before leaving Jerusalem: “Building peace is difficult, but living without peace is painful.”
On 3 June the Argentinean Bishops’ Conference joined the initiative: “We invite all the faithful and people of good will to pause in their daily activities on Friday, 6 June at 1.00pm in each country, wherever you may be, on the street, with your family, at school, at work, at the factory, in the fields, in your neighbourhood, at university, and to dedicate one minute to pray for peace. We have called it “One minute for peace,” explained the Argentinean Bishop’s Conference. There will be a press conference on Thursday 5 June at the Bishops’ Conference headquarters to present the initiative “One minute for peace,” an Argentinean decision they hope will be taken up in other countries around the world.
“Pope Francis’ recent visit to the Holy Land has as its immediate fruit the meeting which will take place on Sunday 8 June with the presidents of Israel and Palestine, prayerfully preparing for this new “opportunity for peace,” emphasised the Bishops.
A historic moment
They also explained that the objective is for national and international organizations to join this call to “spiritually accompany” the Pope.
The organizers explain that their desire to “contribute to this historic event which we hope will give birth to a new path of encounter between the people of Palestine and Israel, throughout the Middle East and wherever open conflict threatens peace.”
In Covenant with Francis
We are spreading this initiative, as have many other media outlets, in the hope that many Schoenstatt members and readers of our website will participate, ensuring that Pope Francis is not “left alone” in his efforts for peace.
“Dear Mother, I unite myself with all Christians so that, with my humble prayer, I may accompany Pope Francis during this time of Pentecost. May your most Blessed Son be glorified and may our One Triune God manifest himself in this meeting and that it can bring peace to the whole world,” wrote someone in Ecuador. “I will pray Fr. Kentenich’s prayer to the Holy Spirit during these days and may He illumine and give wisdom to the Pope so that through him, God may be glorified.”
Hashtag: #unminutoporlapaz
Translated from the Spanish by Sarah-Leah Pimentel, South Africa
