Decrying war, Pope appeals for 'One Minute for Peace'

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Pope Francis has applauded the ecumenical "One Minute for Peace" initiative, appealing to the faithful to join him in praying for an end to the wars plaguing the world, especially in Ukraine.

The Holy Father made the latest appeal for an end to the ongoing war which has been claiming countless lives for more than a year toward the conclusion of his General Audience on Wednesday morning, where he dedicated his catechesis this week to St. Therese of the Child Jesus, as he reflected on figures who embodied apostolic zeal.

The Pope once again recalled Ukraine and its suffering population in his greetings to Polish and Italian pilgrims, and, at the conclusion of the Italian greetings, he highlighted the initiative.

"Tomorrow, at 1 p.m., Catholic Action International suggests that believers of various denominations and religions gather in prayer, dedicating 'One Minute for Peace.'"

The Initiative

The International Forum of Catholic Action (IFCA) is calling on believers across the globe to stop, bow their heads and pray for peace, every one according to his or her own tradition, at 1 pm Rome time on Thursday, 8 June.

IFCA chose this specific date to commemorate the unprecedented “Meeting of Prayer for Peace”, called for by Pope Francis on 8 June 2014, in which the Presidents of Israel and the Palestinian Authority met in the Vatican to pray together for peace in the Holy Land.