Anglicans and Catholics to hold an hour of prayer to support Pope Francis’ visit to
the Holy Land
(Vatican Radio) Anglicans and Catholics in England and Wales will unite in prayer
at the very hour that Pope Francis will visit the Christians of Bethlehem on Sunday
25 May between 3pm and 4pm (UK time).
In a statement released by the Catholic
Communications Network in London, Cardinal Nichols said: “Many of our Catholic parishes
will hold an hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament at exactly the time when
Pope Francis is meeting the Christian communities in Bethlehem itself.
“I
do encourage you, please, to use that hour on Sunday 25 May – the hour between 3 o’clock
and 4 o’clock in prayer - so that we are in absolute solidarity with Pope Francis
and with the Christians of Bethlehem as they meet together.”
The Cardinal also
spoke of the importance of supporting the Pope’s mission and of “praying for peace”
in the Holy Land.
The Pope’s three day visit to the Holy Land begins on Saturday
24th May – the intense programme includes a visit to Jordan, Palestine and Israel.
Pope Francis will encounter the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Jerusalem
– a meeting which will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the meeting between Pope
Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagorus. They will sign a joint declaration and then preside
at an ecumenical prayer service at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre together with
other Christian leaders.
The ecumenical dimension of this visit is central
so Anglican churches across England and Wales will also follow the call from Friends
of the Holy Land to hold an hour of prayer to coincide with the exact time that Pope
Francis is meeting with Christian families in the Holy Land.
About the visit,
Chair of the Department for Dialogue and Unity, Archbishop Bernard Longley said: “The
meeting of Pope Francis in the Holy Land with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew marks
a very significant step on the road to Christian unity. This year sees the 50th
anniversary of the two great documents of Vatican II on ecumenism and inter-religious
relations “Unitatis Redintegratio” and “Nostra Aetate”.
“This meeting will
mark the 50th anniversary of the meeting of Pope Paul VI, soon to be beatified, with
Patriarch Athenagoras which paved the way for the Catholic Church’s commitment to
dialogue with the Byzantine Orthodox Churches. The forthcoming meeting should have
a similarly encouraging and inspiring impact on our relations and our dialogue at
national and international levels today.
“I hope that the Holy Father and Patriarch
Bartholomew will draw attention to the struggling Christian communities of the Holy
Land. I am delighted that many of our parishes will pray in solidarity with Pope
Francis and the Ecumenical Patriarch on the afternoon of Sunday 25th May. I am also
grateful for all that the Friends of the Holy Land have been doing to highlight this
important visit and ecumenical encounter.”