Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I hope you were able to watch the Prayer Vigil for Peace led by Pope Leo XIV on Saturday, April 11th, or a YouTube video of it here. In a simple ritual of the recitation of the Rosary and the singing of the Litany of the Blessed Mother, the world was invited to reflect on the dire need for peace and reconciliation as wars and violence continue to rage in far too many locales.
One element of the service that I found particularly touching was the lighting of oil lamps at the start of each Glorious Mystery of the Rosary by representatives from five parts of the world: Asia, Oceania, Europe, Africa and America. The flame for the lighting came from the Lamp of Peace, a perpetually burning oil lamp located at the tomb of St. Francis in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
Pope Leo’s homily was also a powerful moment as he raised a plea to the world’s leaders to lay down the weapons of war and seek peace through dialogue. “Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war! True strength is shown in serving life. With evangelical simplicity, Saint John XXIII once wrote: ‘The benefits of peace will be felt everywhere, by individuals, by families, by nations, by the whole human race.’ And echoing the incisive words of Pius XII, he added: ‘Nothing is lost by peace; everything may be lost by war’” (Encyclical Letter Pacem in Terris, 116).
The Holy Father continued: “Let us, therefore, unite the moral and spiritual strength of the millions and billions of men and women, young and old, who today choose to believe in peace, caring for the wounds and repairing the damage left behind by the madness of war. I receive countless letters from children in areas of conflict. In reading them, one perceives, through the lens of innocence, all the horror and inhumanity of actions that some adults boast of with pride. Let us listen to the voices of children!”
I invite you to read the pope’s entire homily which can be found here.
Fr. Tim Shreenan, O.F.M.
Pastor
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