UK: Lent, Catholic and Anglican Churches pray for peace

The Lenten messages of the UK Catholic Bishops this year are dedicated to Ukraine and echo the appeal by Pope Francis to fast today, Ash Wednesday, to help the people who suffer. “Use the spiritual weapons of prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lent for the people of Ukraine”, Bishop Mark O’Toole of Plymouth urged Catholics, inviting them to go to church. “We will fall on our knees before Christ, the Prince of Peace, praying for an end to this act of warfare”, added Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark, inviting the faithful to pray the Rosary for the same intentions. In a video on YouTube, the Catholic Primate of England and Wales, Vincent Nichols, asked students to bring their families back to church this Lent, even though they did not go during the pandemic because their routine had changed. In the Church of England, too, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, the most prominent figures in the Anglican Church, have called on the faithful to observe a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday, also in support of Pope Francis’ appeal. For the Church of England, the theme for the next forty days will be “Embrace Justice” that is circulating on social media with the hashtag #LiveLent:EmbracingJustice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RtnIGHmQwww
Silvia Guzzetti