Pope Francis and also pilgrims, who are now visiting the Holy Land, are praying for peace.
“Right now you need a lot of courage and a lot of fortitude to be able to say NO to hatred and revenge and to be able to make gestures of peace”: these were Pope Francis’ words during the Angelus last Sunday, October 18.
The Pope, who was on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2014, also stressed that “in this current situation that Middle East is facing, peace in the Holy Land is more crucial than ever: God wants this from us for the sake of mankind.”
And he invited everyone to pray for peace.
Hundreds of pilgrims from around the world have visited the holy places in the second week of October and prayed for peace.
Sister Marta NAVARROS
Sacred Heart of the Incarnate Word
“This group is from Paraná, Brazil: we are praying for peace.
We prayed the rosary for peace; today we will have a Holy Hour in Gethsemane dedicated to peace and all the Masses we celebrate are for this intention.”
This is how Sister Marta Navarros answered when we asked her whether it is possible to visit the Holy Places peacefully:
Sister Marta NAVARROS
Sacred Heart of the Incarnate Word
“Yes, of course you can. This year I am the guide for other groups. There is a large number of groups of pilgrims who travel here. Although there is much talk of danger, there is no danger for the pilgrims.”
ALESSANDRO
Bologna – Italy
“Besides the fact that the pilgrimage was organized long time ago, when the situation was different here , there is no danger here for me or for the pilgrims; and we always pray for peace, for a solid and durable peace.”
Groups meet up and down the streets of the holy city, they take pictures, but, more than anything, they pray.
Fr. LEONEL STANSKI
Brazil
“These days have been a great experience for us! In my community, many people have asked me about the dangers in the Holy Land. They asked: ‘Father, don’t you see the conflicts that they show on TV?’ But, now that I am here, I have the impression that it is totally different from what we see on the news. This is a wonderful experience and we will return home renewed.”
CEZAR MOLINARI
San Pio Tur – Curitiba
“Every day, indeed, we receive many bad news, but I always tell them to have faith, to believe that this is a quiet place. We had no problems so far. It is not my first time here, I have been here before, in the month of October, and I am happy because I have never seen the number of groups as I see here today.”
MARIA CECILIA FERNANDES
Brazil
“This was a wonderful pilgrimage! This is my tenth time here. And this is my camera that recorded all that is beautiful in this land and I did not record any forms of violence.”
This was a beautiful experience also confirmed by the presence of other groups from Europe, from North America and South America, from Africa, as well as from China and India. A blend of colors and various cultures.
At Pope Francis’ words: “peace in the Holy Land is more crucial than ever: God wants this from us for the sake of mankind.” many Christians from all over the world answer:
“We will be there! We will visit the Holy Places and we will pray for peace …