September 02, 2013 - The Church in India is adhering to the invitation of Pope Francis
in observing a day of fasting and prayer on Saturday for peace in Syria, the Middle
East and throughout the world. Card. Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and president
of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) told AsiaNews that on Sept. 7th,
the eve of the Nativity of Mary Queen of Peace, "the children, girls and all the youth
of India will pray for their Syrian brothers and sisters", so that "through the intercession
of Our Lady they may find the strength to have faith and not lose hope".
Below
is an adaptation of Cardinal Oswald Gracias’ statement to AsiaNews:
I
am writing to all our Bishops in India asking them to have the Day of Prayer and
Fasting on 7th Sept. in solidarity with the Holy Father, for Peace in
Syria, Middle East and All over the World and Peace in our own country. On 7th
Sept., India's almost 2 million Catholic faithful will be in solidarity with the
Holy Father Pope Francis and the Universal Church and pray and fast for those suffering
in Syria - the people in Syria as they face potentially pernicious situation, which
could have damaging consequences. War and violence is never an answer anywhere and
anytime. Violence only begets violence and all are aware that the innocent, the poor
and the marginalized have always to face the worst brunt of these man-made catastrophes.
Our beloved millions of children of India will offer prayers for the children of
Syria on 7th Sept 2013 in response to the Holy Father's appeal. Today is the fourth
day of the novena in preparation of the Feast of the Nativity of Mary and Catholic
children of India bring flowers and candles to offer to our Blessed Virgin Mary, sweetly
singing songs of Praise to the Blessed Mother. So this year, on the Vigil, special
Prayers and Rosary will be said and hymns of peace will be sung for the Children of
Syria. Our Syrian children, who are innocent victims, children who are orphaned or
lost their homes and are forced to seek refuge in other countries - these children
will be the ones left to rebuild their lives and their country. We assure them the
love and prayers of the Children of India, who petition our and their Mother Mary,
who Sang the ‘Magnificat’. For decades, the Church in Bombay that has celebrated
the girl child day, this year on the vigil of the Feast we pray for the girl child
in Syria, the women and mothers in Syria and for the thousands more who are ripped
from their homes and schools, left with painful memories of violence and confusion
over what they've lost. We pray for the children of Syria who live in constant
fear and uncertainty and have lost hope for the future- the children of India prayers
for them The Feast of the Nativity of Mary, is a very special day for the Church
in India and for all people of good will. A novena precedes this great feast, and
peoples of every caste and creed and people from all walks of life, attend the novena
services, praying to the Mother of us all - the Blessed Virgin. Every church, and
chapel, monastery and seminary, novitiate and religious institution that has novena
services, will now pray on 7th Sept. for the volatility in Syria as announced
by the Holy Father Pope Francis. There is an overwhelming devotion of Mary in
India. Mary is venerated, loved and petitioned by all generations and peoples in
India . The maternal protection of Mary is sought by everyone. We all belong to
the Mystical Body of Christ; there is intense suffering of our Syrian brothers and
sisters, and the Church in India suffers intensely as we witness the current crisis
and the tragedy unfold in Syria, that will have disastrous consequences for humanity
as well. India has a youthful face, and our youth are agonising over the sufferings
of the Syrian youth. The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members
and their future. Our Catholic Youth in India, will have a Prayer Vigil for the youth
in Syria, that they may not lose hope, and that through the powerful intercession
of Mary they may have reason to hope. War and violence are never an answer anywhere
and anytime. Violence only begets violence and all are aware that the innocent, the
poor and the marginalized have always to face the worst brunt of these man-made catastrophes.
Dialogue is the only way forward and peace negotiations are the only hope for avoiding
yet another worst-case scenario of humanitarian crisis. The Church in India intercedes
also to our own Mother Teresa of Kolkata, and what she said in Beirut, Lebanon in
1982: "I have never been in a war before, but I have seen famine and death. I was
asking (myself), 'What do they feel when they do this?' I don't understand it. They
are all children of God. Why do they do it? I don't understand".