Several bishops' conferences around the world have echoed Pope Leo XIV's call to pray for peace on April 11.
During his "urbi et irbi" ("to the city and the world") message on Easter Sunday, the Holy Father called for a prayer vigil for peace to be held Saturday at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.
Responding to that call, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul Coakley, made "a special plea to my brother bishops, the priests, the laity, and all people yearning for true peace to join the Holy Father's Vigil for Peace, whether virtually or in parishes, chapels, or before the Lord present in the quiet of their hearts to join with our Holy Father as we pray for peace in our world."
The pontiff encouraged the faithful to join together to make heard "the cry for peace that springs from our hearts" and warned against growing indifference: "We are growing accustomed to violence, resigning ourselves to it, and becoming indifferent."
"Indifferent to the deaths of thousands of people," he continued, "indifferent to the repercussions of hatred and division that conflicts sow. Indifferent to the economic and social consequences they produce, which we all feel."
Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, issued a statement urging priests, religious, and all believers to participate in the vigil led by the pope or to gather in prayer within their local communities to "implore the gift of reconciliation."
"Let us halt the whirlwind of pain, suffering, and devastation; let us say our 'no' to war, and let us not grow accustomed to the horror," the cardinal said.
Together with the Society of Jesus and the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious in Mexico, the Mexican Bishops' Conference issued "an urgent call to society" to join the pope's campaign of prayer for peace with the theme "Let Us Make Heard the Cry for Peace That Springs from the Heart!"
"The peace that Christ offers us is both a gift and a mission. This peace is built by learning to transform conflicts into opportunities for forgiveness rather than into excuses for violence. Therefore, peace within the family and community is a daily task that requires a generous heart, willing to forgive," the Mexican bishops stated.
The bishop of Huesca, Spain, Pedro Aguado Cuesta, has also called upon the faithful there to participate in the prayer vigil.
The prelate will lead the vigil at San Vicente el Real Church at 9 p.m. local time in communion with the initiative promoted by the Holy Father.
"Peace lies at the heart of the Gospel and at the center of human aspirations," said Aguado, who urged the faithful to make a personal commitment to be builders of peace.
Likewise, Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines, invited local churches to participate in the day of prayer.
"In a world increasingly marked by conflict and the 'globalization of indifference,' the Holy Father has invited the entire Church to unite in prayer, exhorting everyone to implore the gift of peace and to renew our commitment to dialogue, reconciliation, and nonviolence," he said in a statement.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
