Has Pope’s Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace Stopped War?
The Chaldean Bishop of Aleppo, Antoine Audo, S.J., said, “If there is an armed intervention [into Syria], that would mean, I believe, a world war.”
Our Lady of Medjugorje, Queen of Peace, said, “Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars…”. Has America’s threat of war against Syria been stopped by fasting and prayer?100,000 people joined Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to pray and fast for peace. Hundreds of thousands throughout the world also responded to his requests for prayer and fasting on that day.
Then on Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that if Syrian President Assad turned over his complete stockpile of chemical weapons within the next week he could avoid an attack from the United States.
On the same day, Russia quickly said that it would push Syria to get rid of its chemical weapons stockpiles and Syria agreed. Then Syria and Russia worked out the basics of a plan whereby Syria would relinquish control of its chemical weapons stockpiles to avoid armed conflict with the United States.
Last night, President Obama told Americans that diplomacy suddenly holds “the potential to remove the threat of chemical weapons” in Syria without the use of force.
Tomorrow, Secretary Kerry will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Geneva to try to reach a deal on a United Nations Security Council resolution that would require Syria to give up its chemical weapons or face consequences.
In the flurry and confusion of these recent rapid developments, there are still many issues that need to be resolved if Syria’s chemical weapons are to be eliminated. So, on this 12th anniversary of the 9/11 Attack on America, let us continue to fast and to pray for peace through the intercession of Our Lady of America.
