“On October 7, I ask everyone to live a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world”he declared at the end of a mass in Saint Peter’s Square, in Rome.
A necessity, according to him, “in this dramatic hour in our history, when the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to shake peoples and entire nations.”
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Italian Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, had already called for a day of prayer, penance and fasting for peace in the Holy Land.
The pope also announced that he would go to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome on Sunday to pray for peace.
Fasting and prayer
Since October 7, 2023, Francis has continued to urge a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages in the hands of Hamas. In mid-September, he deplored the absence of“advances towards peace”.
In the past, he has called for days of fasting and prayer for other conflicts, from Ukraine to Syria.
On October 7, 2023, during its attack in southern Israel, Hamas kidnapped 251 people. 64 of these hostages in the Gaza Strip are believed to be still alive.
Since then, the Israeli response in this Palestinian territory has left more than 41,600 dead, according to the Hamas government’s Ministry of Health.
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