The Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace – Caritas Canada is organizing a day of prayer for peace in Syria on the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Tuesday, October 4, 2016. In addition, the Holy See recently announced that there will also be an international and ecumenical day of prayer on October 31, 2016, for peace in the Middle East and especially for all the people of Syria. This is on the occasion of the Pope’s Apostolic Voyage to Sweden to mark the ecumenical commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.
The Development and Peace – Caritas Canada national day of prayer is part of an information campaign launched by Caritas Internationalis, Syria: Peace is Possible.
Pope Francis issued a video message in support of the campaign which includes a new website, http://syria.caritas.org/ currently in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. Caritas Internationalis resources for the campaign are provided on its new website under the heading «Act».
Further resources as well as suggestions for promotion and advocacy for peace in Syria are also available from Development and Peace.
The International and Ecumenical Day of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East and especially for the people of Syria, on October 31, 2016, is being organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Caritas Internationalis, and the Lutheran World Federation. The theme is on shifting relations from conflict to communion, with a focus especially on involving young people.
Pope Francis, alongside Bishop Munib Younan, President of the Lutheran World Federation, and the Rev. Martin Junge, the Federation’s General Secretary, will lead a common prayer service based on the recently published Catholic – Lutheran «Common Prayer» liturgical guide. The guide is based on From Conflict to Communion, a joint document that highlights the ecumenical developments between the two Churches. Development and Peace – Caritas Canada is promoting both the national and the international days of prayer for peace.
Link to the resources from Development and Peace
Link to Caritas Internationalis
