In union with millions of faithful from around the world, tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square on Saturday for a four-hour Syria peace vigil.
According to the Associated Press (AP), the Vatican is estimating that 100,000 people took part in a prayer vigil in Rome to mark a day of prayer and fasting for a peaceful end to the conflict in Syria. The turnout makes it one of the largest rallies held in the West.
While the pope reportedly spent most of the vigil in silent prayer, he did speak to the crowd long enough to plea for peace and to denounce those who worship the idols of “dominion and power” while destroying God’s creation through war.
“This evening, I ask the Lord that we Christians, and our brothers and sisters of other religions and every man and woman of good will, cry out forcefully: Violence and war are never the way to peace!” he said.
“May the noise of weapons cease!” he said. “War always marks the failure of peace, it is always a defeat for humanity.”
This is not the first time the Holy Father has sent out a plea for peace since an August 21 chemical weapons attack by forces aligned with Syrian president Bashar-al Assad which left an estimated 1400 people dead, including 426 children in the attack.
Since the U.S. began to threaten military action, the Vatican has “ramped up” its peace message, the AP reports, summoning ambassadors for a briefing by the Holy See foreign minister this week and appealing to world powers who gathered in Russia last week for the G20 meeting.
Bishops around the world responded to the pope’s call for a day of prayer and fasting.
“In Francis’ native Argentina, human rights and religious groups held a vigil in Buenos Aires’ Plaza de Mayo and in cities across the country,” the AP reports, with similar initiatives taking place throughout Italy, in Cuba and elsewhere. “Even the grand mufti of Damascus, who thanked the pope for his initiative in a letter earlier this week, invited Muslims to join the fast in solidarity.”
While some carried posters with political messages in St. Peter’s Square, they eventually disappeared as members of all religions gathered to pray for peace.
“This is already a success, the fact that all of us are here, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, atheists,” a Hindu believer named Anata told the AP. Pilgrims “made an effort to fast, not to do many things, and come here from all over Italy and Europe. This is already a success.”
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