2013-09-13 Vatican Radio
(Vatican Radio) Responding to Pope Francis’ appeal for aid for Syria, Catholics in Canada have been taking part in a campaign to “Be in Solidarity with the People of Syria in Their Many Sufferings.”
Organised by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) and the Canadian Catholic Organisation for Development and Peace, the campaign aims to “assist the extensive work in the Middle East by Catholic charities and development agencies, particularly Caritas Internationalis.”
The effort culminates in a day of prayer and fasting set for September 14th. Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton – the President of the CCCB – explains, “We chose that day because, first of all, it’s the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. And Jesus by His death on the Cross, as we heard in Ephesians, broke down the walls of hostility that were separating His people one from the other. So it would be a perfect day to pray that the power of the Cross come to the land of Syria to bring reconciliation and peace.”
Coming one week after the international day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria led by Pope Francis, Archbishop Smith says the Canadian effort “is a beautiful follow-up, and it’s a wonderful way to emphasize the need for continued prayer.” Referring to new prospects for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in Syria, Archbishop Smith says, “People of faith are going to recognise here a deeper and a prior agency at work – namely the power of prayer. This new, hopeful development came about in the span, a very short span of just a couple of days after the Pope’s day of prayer. And I don’t think we should fail to make that connection.”
But, he says, “having made the connection though, we realise the situation in Syria is tenuous, the hostilities, the atrocities, the horrors continue, the suffering remains horrific, and our hearts continue to break. But,” he continues, “out of that broken heart, out of that sense of deep compassion and solidarity, and above all out of our confidence that prayer works, that prayer has an effect, we need to continue to pray, to pray intensely that there will be a definitive end to all these hostilities and a true and a lasting peace.”
It’s for that reason, Archbishop Smith says, that it is important to continue to pray: “And so out of this need for continued prayer, we see the importance of having yet another day of prayer and fasting. So we will be doing that in union with and in continuity with the initiative of the Holy Father.”
The Canadian Bishops’ campaign for aid to those suffering from the Syrian conflict wraps up on Saturday; for more information on how to contribute, see the website of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.cccb.ca/