Pope: The Our Father of the world’s Christians to ask for an end to the epidemic

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Conference of European Churches (KEK), the ecumenical association of Christian Churches of Europe participated in the initiative, proposed by Francis.


Vatican City (AsiaNews) - At 12, Rome time, Christians around the world prayed the Our Father to ask for an end to the epidemic and also for the sick and those who help them in any way.

The Patriarchate of Constantinople, as well as the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, head of the Anglican communion, who in a tweet assured: “We will pray to the Our Father with Pope Francis and millions of people in the world ", urging the faithful to participate. The Conference of European Churches (KEK), the ecumenical association of Christian Churches in Europe, did likewise.

The prayer was announced by the sound of the bells of the churches of the dioceses worldwide, which rang just before 12.

Pope Francis, in his study, introduced his prayer saying: “Dear brothers and sisters, today we have gathered together, all the Christians of the world, to pray together the Our Father, the prayer that Jesus taught us. As trustful children we turn to the Father. We do it every day, several times a day; but right now we wish to beg mercy for mankind, so sorely tried by the coronavirus pandemic. And we do this together, Christians of every Church and Community, of every tradition, of every age, language and nation.

We pray for the sick and their families; for health workers and those who help them; for the authorities, law enforcement agencies and volunteers; for the ministers of our communities.

Today many of us celebrate the Incarnation of the Word in the womb of the Virgin Mary, when her humble and total “Behold” reflected the “Behold” of the Son of God. We too entrust ourselves, with full confidence, to the hands of God, and with one heart and one soul we pray: Our Father ...' ".