Pope Francis has issued a heartfelt call for a World Day of Prayer for peace on January 26:
“I am following with concern the increase of tensions that threaten to inflict a new blow to the peace in Ukraine, and call into question the security of the European continent, with wider repercussions,” he told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, January 22."
"...In this tense and volatile situation, Pope Francis today called for prayers worldwide. He began by saying, “I make a heartfelt appeal to all people of good will, that they may raise prayers to God Almighty, that every political action and initiative may serve human brotherhood, rather than partisan interests.”
"Then, in unusually strong words that appeared to be directed to both Russian and Ukrainian leadership, Francis said, “Those who pursue their own interests, to the detriment of others, disregard their human vocation, as we were all created as brothers and sisters.”
"...Commenting on this statement, a Vatican source who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak on the subject told America that the risk is that a false move or provocation by the Ukrainians could provide an opening for the Russians to invade. Such an invasion would create an extremely dangerous situation that would be very difficult to control, he added."
"Pope Francis concluded his remarks today saying, “For this reason, and with concern, given the current tensions, I propose that next Wednesday, 26 January be a day of prayer for peace.”
Praying for peace doesn’t hurt, but there is little evidence from history that it does anything more than make the pray-ers feel less helpless, and that they are at least” doing something “ to try to avert disaster.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what there is to do but ask God to touch the hearts of the people in charge of military decisions and to ask for the strength to face what happens with love and courage.
ReplyDeleteAll prayer reverbs back on us, ultimately: God's response to me is usually, You want this to stop? What have you done or failed to do that would make things better?
It is up to us to try. God will not intervene.
DeleteIf so, I guess we're dead meat.
DeleteI have more faith in God than in man. So I'll pray. I think we're mostly here in spite of ourselves. To me, the fact that we survived the period of the nuclear-armed Cold War is a miracle. Now, the impenetrability of human heads to the crisis of climate change amazes me and we're hellbent on effing up the biosphere. So, I'll pray that God bails us out somehow although, to be honest, I wouldn't do it. Now, Biden and the braindead Democrats (thank you, Tom Blackburn) are getting on board for military confrontation with the Russkies. Is this really the best we can do?
ReplyDeleteStanley, me too, about having more faith in God than man.
DeleteAnd about those who are Jonesing for military involvement, don't they realize that history is littered with the corpses of those who thought it was a good idea to engage Russian troops, in or near Russia, in the Russian winter. Ask Napoleon. And Hitler. And a bunch of others.
Katherine, I guess if we the USA didn't learn about the history of empires trying to conquer Afghanistan, it is well in our power to ignore the history you outlined. After the bungling of the last few decades, I see no reason to believe our domestic know-it-alls have suddenly become competent enough to manage a military confrontation with Mother Russia. I guess that our proposed foe is an actual country makes our efforts more possible to succeed. But I am not confident.
DeleteI think the pope's heartfelt plea for prayers for peace was not just meant to fall on God's ears. It was also an appeal for mercy to people's better natures. Hopefully their better natures are listening.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, though, I do believe in the power of prayer. It is a mysterious thing, and I don't think we fully understand the synergy of it. Jesus talked about prayer. A lot. In Thessalonians we are urged to "pray without ceasing". It isn't just words we say, we offer ourselves and our lives.
From what I am reading, the chances of the US being pulled into a Russian-Ukranian war are extremely small. But such a war will result in much death and destruction. I've known and worked with immigrants from both countries. They are good people and shouldn't be trying to kill one another.
ReplyDeleteThe US already is supplying weapons to Ukraine and presumably that flow of weapons will increase if Russia invades. Do we think this is just? I think it's a complicated problem.
A good three-minute geography and history lesson from CNN which gives the rational for Russian invasion of Ukraine
Deletehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/opinion-these-maps-show-why-putin-might-want-to-invade-ukraine/vi-AASTTj2?ocid=msedgntp
I would add that the original center of Russian orthodoxy was actually at Kiev. The Russian Orthodox Church declared a schism with Constantinople when the Patriarch there recognized the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as an independent church co-equal with the Russian Church a few years ago.
The Moscow patriarch's authority really comes from its relationship to the rulers of Moscow rather than being the original center of the Slavonic liturgy which was Kiev. I am sure the Russian Patriarch would like to take Kiev back and make it subordinate to himself.
I think Putin will try to take over the entire Ukraine and install a puppet government which is what happened about a decade ago, before there was a freedom movement.
Even if he does there will be continued unrest, including religious unrest and the Slavonic rites in Ukraine have several forms including a Catholic form. So, expect religious persecution, e.g., removing priests not loyal to Moscow, and taking over and/or closing churches not loyal to Moscow.
Just amazing how often religion itself is an obstacle to peace.
DeleteA couple of relevant articles at NCR today. One is written by a rabbi in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It took almost two thousand years and the murder of millions of Jews by Christians to finally have Popes publicly acknowledge the horrors suffered by the Jewish people. Millions of Jews prayed to God to protect them against the Christians of Germany in WWII. The Christians killed them or at least closed their eyes to the persecution and murder of the Jews while they prayed ibpn churches every Sunday that God would help Germany to victory.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/holocaust-remembrance-day-lessons-three-popes-visits-auschwitz
Our prayers should probably be asking God what we should do, because God doesn’t directly intervene to bring about peace. We have to do it. St. Francis was a soldier. He witnessed the horror of the wars the christians were fighting with the Muslims. So maybe we should pray with Francis
Father, make me an instrument of your peace
He didn’t ask God to intervene, he asked for guidance to discover what he could do to become an instrument of peace. Perhaps that should be our prayer too. Not just pray that God will guide what Biden or Putin or NATO Generals do, but what WE ordinary folk should do. Praying isn’t enough.
https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/happy-are-peacemakers-who-wake-rest-us