At 9:00 this morning, with the chanting of the liturgical Hour of Terce (Mid-morning Prayer), the fourth General Congregation of the XIV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began in the Synod Hall at the Vatican.
Pope Francis invited those who were present to pray for reconciliation and for peace in the Middle East, and at the same time, together with the Synod Father, he issued a call to the international community to resolve the conflicts that are currently taking place.
Dear Synod Fathers,
Dear brothers and sisters,
This morning, as we continue the work of the General Congregation, I want to invite you to dedicate this Mid-morning Prayer to the intention of reconciliation and peace in the Middle East. We are painfully saddened as we are profoundly preoccupied by the events unfolding in Syria and Iraq, in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, where we are witnessing an escalation of violence involving innocent civilians that continues to feed a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. War leads to destruction and multiplies people's suffering. Hope and progress are only possible with a choice for peace. Let us therefore unite our voices in an intense and confident prayer to the Lord, a prayer which is both an expression of the closeness of Patriarchal and Episcopal brothers here present, gathered from every region of the world, with our priests and faithful, as well as with all those who are affected by this crisis.
At the same time, I want to express, together with the Synod, a heartfelt appeal to the international community, to find a way to effectively help all those who are suffering, to expand their own horizons beyond immediate interest and to use all instruments of international rights and diplomacy to resolve the present conflicts.
Finally, I wish to extend our prayer also to areas on the continent of Africa where our brothers and sisters are experiencing similar situations of conflict. Let us ask Mary, the Queen of peace and the beloved Mother of her children to help them.
Pope Francis invited those who were present to pray for reconciliation and for peace in the Middle East, and at the same time, together with the Synod Father, he issued a call to the international community to resolve the conflicts that are currently taking place.
Words of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
addressed to the Synod Fathers
Dear Synod Fathers,
Dear brothers and sisters,
This morning, as we continue the work of the General Congregation, I want to invite you to dedicate this Mid-morning Prayer to the intention of reconciliation and peace in the Middle East. We are painfully saddened as we are profoundly preoccupied by the events unfolding in Syria and Iraq, in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, where we are witnessing an escalation of violence involving innocent civilians that continues to feed a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. War leads to destruction and multiplies people's suffering. Hope and progress are only possible with a choice for peace. Let us therefore unite our voices in an intense and confident prayer to the Lord, a prayer which is both an expression of the closeness of Patriarchal and Episcopal brothers here present, gathered from every region of the world, with our priests and faithful, as well as with all those who are affected by this crisis.
At the same time, I want to express, together with the Synod, a heartfelt appeal to the international community, to find a way to effectively help all those who are suffering, to expand their own horizons beyond immediate interest and to use all instruments of international rights and diplomacy to resolve the present conflicts.
Finally, I wish to extend our prayer also to areas on the continent of Africa where our brothers and sisters are experiencing similar situations of conflict. Let us ask Mary, the Queen of peace and the beloved Mother of her children to help them.
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