Catholic parishes take up Pope’s call to pray for peace

Catholic communities throughout New Zealand are responding to Pope Leo’s invitation to gather and pray for peace this weekend as war and violence continues across the world.

In his first Easter message “Urbi et Orbi (to the city and to the world)”, Pope Leo urged world leaders to lay down their weapons, and to choose “encounter” over efforts at domination.

The Holy Father said those “who have the power to unleash wars” should instead choose the path of peace.

New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference president Bishop Steve Lowe of Auckland said: “While a small country like ours can feel far away from danger and safe from war, that does not permit what the Pope describes as the ‘globalisation of indifference’.

“We truly believe that our prayerful participation in this universal initiative has the power to change the hearts of those most in need of hearing our pleas for peace in our world.”

Speaking at St Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, Pope Leo said: “Let us allow ourselves to be transformed by the peace of Christ! Let us make heard the cry for peace that springs from our hearts!”

He followed those words with an invitation to join him in St Peter’s Square on April 11 to pray of peace. For those scattered across the globe, local initiatives have emerged.

Catholic parishes in New Zealand are encouraged to take 10 minutes after each Mass this weekend to participate in a liturgy focused on peace. The prayers can also be prayed in other contexts, including schools, family homes, hospitals and aged care facilities.

Fr Simon Eccleton, the administrator of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral in Christchurch, said he welcomes the opportunity to add these special prayers to this weekend’s worship.

“So many people feel helpless in the face of what is happening,” he said.

“Prayer is a meaningful response to that sense of helplessness, and a chance to gather as a community to lift our hearts and voices to God, seeking his intercession.”

The prayer resources, in PowerPoint format, can be found here: https://bit.ly/NZPeacePrayerPPT 

The prayer resources, as a PDF, can be found here: https://bit.ly/NZPeacePrayerPDF