Cardinal Parolin in Aparecida: We must continue to pray for peace

By Silvonei José Protz and Lisa Zengarini

In the face of our human impotence to solve the many armed conflicts ravaging the world today we need to continue to invoke peace through prayer, Cardinal Parolin has said. He was speaking on the sidelines of a two-day retreat he is leading for the Brazilian bishops as they open their 61st General Assembly at the Marian Shrine of Aparecida.

The meeting kicked off on 10 April with an opening Mass in which the president of the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference (CNBB), Archbishop Jaime Spengler of Porto Alegre recited a special prayer for peace, and spoke about the main areas of conflict in the world today.

Speaking to Vatican News’ Silvonei José Protz, Cardinal Parolin insisted on the importance of prayer at this trying time so that peace may prevail.

Sense of impotence in the face of the current crises

“I truly believe that, apart from our ongoing efforts, we need prayers because it seems we have come to a standstill, that we cannot find paths to peace and think in terms of dialogue to solve the current conflicts,” he said. “We can say that we are experiencing our impotence: therefore, we really need to turn to the Lord and to His Mother”.

World peace was also one of the themes the Vatican Secretary of State discussed with Brazilian President Ignacio da Lula Silva in Brasilia,  before meeting the bishops, in which the relations between Brazil and the Holy See and internal issues were also discussed.

Meeting with President Lula

“It was a fruitful meeting”, said Cardinal Parolin “and we were able to talk about issues that concern specifically Brazil, broadening our gaze to the major internal challenges  such as poverty, inequality, hunger, and justice and the  problems of today's world and, above all, the theme of peace.”

The 480 Brazilian bishops gathered in Aparecida will discuss the updating of their guidelines for evangelization in Brazil (Diretrizes Gerais Da Ação Evangelizadora – DGAE) in light of the changing reality of the Latin American nation, with a focus on three axes: the 2021-2024 Synod of Bishops on synodality; the 2025 Jubilee of Hope; and young people.  

Topics discussed at the Assembly

During the discussions this year the bishops will experiment the “Conversations in the Spirit” method used for the first time during the Synod on synodality in October 2023 where delegates met at round tables.

Cardinal Parolin has been invited to lead the two-day retreat which traditionally opens the assembly to reflect on the three key words that define synodality: communion, participation and mission.

Focus on synodality

These three themes are fundamental for the life of the Church, Cardinal Parolin explained. “They draw attention to the fact that we are communion, that everyone, by virtue of Baptism and Confirmation -  the Sacraments of Christian initiation – must participate, and that we must participate proclaiming the Gospel, first of all to ourselves because as the Evangelii Nuntiandi reminds us, before evangelizing, the Church must allow herself to be evangelized.”

Commenting on his first impressions at meeting the Brazilian bishops all together in their country, Cardinal Parolin said he was particularly struck by their huge number which reflects the size of the country but, most importantly, by their thorough commitment to evangelization and to building a better society in Brazil imbued with Christian values.