«We join together in prayer with the Pope, we reject all forms of violence and social division, and we ask the great nations of the world, in particular, their rulers, for mutual respect, harmony, and good understanding, and not to spare every effort to avoid a scenario of greater tension». With these words, the Presidency of CELAM, the Latin American Episcopal Council, addresses the people of God and the Episcopal Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean, with a message entitled «Let us walk together for peace in the world». Fides News Agency reported the statement.
The message invites us to pray for peace in the world, so that the conflicts that make families and entire populations suffer end, and «in particular, for the serious tension that is being experienced between various countries: war brings only death and destruction». Joining the Pope’s appeal, the Presidency of CELAM invites all parties involved to «give priority to the path of dialogue, the peaceful resolution of disputes and the unconditional respect for international law».
«Let us walk and pray together – they urge – so that in our history we never have to be ashamed of the way in which one human being has eliminated the other because they were not able to dialogue and find the way to walk together». Finally, the Presidency of CELAM invites the Bishops’ Conferences of Latin America and the Caribbean and the entire world to promote days of prayer for peace, invoking «Most Holy Mary, Queen of Peace» to «grant us this gift».
