Archbishop Villegas asks laity to pray for peace
MASS FOR IRAQ
THE leader of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has requested his fellow bishops in the country to offer all their Masses on August 18 as Votive Mass for peace and reconciliation in Iraq.
Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, in a statement, described his suggested activity as “a gesture of spiritual unity with our persecuted brethren in northern Iraq and in response to the call of the Holy Father that all the faithful in the whole Church raise a voice of ceaseless prayer for the restoration of peace”.
August 18 is the day the apostolic of Pope Francis visit to Korea will end with a Mass at the Myeong Dong Cathedral for Peace and Reconciliation.
Villegas said the Pope appeals to the conscience of all people: “May the God of peace create in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is not conquered with violence. Violence is conquered with peace! Let us pray in silence, asking for peace; everyone, in silence …. Mary Queen of peace, pray for us!”
“It would be opportune for our school children to be asked to pray the rosary in school on August 18 for the healing of Iraq. Let us be united with Pope Francis in this quest for peace,” Villegas added. (Tita Roces)
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